Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Puzzle #902). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Peak Americana"
What It Really Means
The prompt points to names used for several major U.S. chains of peaks.
Think About...
- Think U.S. geography at high elevation.
- Look for labels shared by natural features and everyday language.
- Picture an atlas filled with long chains of rugged summits.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 13 letters
Starting Zone: Row 8, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): The spanning entry names the geographic feature that unites all six answers.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It is the term for a long, connected series of high summits.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is M, last letter is E
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MOUNTAINRANGE
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Think of water dropping in stages.
Closer: A series of waterfalls shares this name.
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 7 letters total
Answer
CASCADE
Word 2
Vague: A color closely associated with fresh leaves.
Closer: The hue sits between yellow and blue on the color wheel.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 5 letters total
Answer
GREEN
Word 3
Vague: Covered with loose or exposed stone.
Closer: This adjective describes an uneven, stone-strewn landscape.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 5 letters total
Answer
ROCKY
Word 4
Vague: A jagged profile made from repeated sharp points.
Closer: Picture the repeated triangular edge of a carpenter's cutting tool.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
SAWTOOTH
Word 5
Vague: Hazy, with a muted veil in the air.
Closer: This adjective describes the look and scent produced by a wood fire.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SMOKY
Word 6
Vague: The palest neutral color.
Closer: It is the color of fresh snow.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 5 letters total
Answer
WHITE
Full Answers
Spangram: MOUNTAINRANGE
Theme Words:
- CASCADE
- GREEN
- ROCKY
- SAWTOOTH
- SMOKY
- WHITE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, because familiar words are serving as shortened geographic names.
Trickiest Word: SAWTOOTH is the likeliest stall, since its everyday meaning points to a serrated shape before its geographic use comes into focus.
Our Take: The MOUNTAIN RANGE spangram cleanly explains why CASCADE, GREEN, ROCKY, SAWTOOTH, SMOKY, and WHITE belong together. The mix of colors, physical descriptions, and familiar nouns gives the list useful misdirection while keeping the final connection crisp.
