Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, September 3, 2026 (Puzzle #914). 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: "Hike!"
What It Really Means
The prompt points to terms tied to an American gridiron game.
Think About...
- Actions that move or stop possession.
- The sequence of offensive chances and designed maneuvers.
- The venue and scoring equipment found around the field.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 8 letters
Starting Zone: Row 5, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): The central answer names the sport tying the entire set together.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think of the American gridiron game with quarterbacks and goalposts.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is F, last letter is L
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FOOTBALL
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A unit in a limited sequence of offensive chances.
Closer: The offense gets four of these to gain the required yardage.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 4 letters total
Answer
DOWN
Word 2
Vague: Forceful contact made with a lower limb.
Closer: A boot sends the ball toward the goalposts or deep into opposing territory.
Letter Clue: Starts with K, 4 letters total
Answer
KICK
Word 3
Vague: A transfer sent from one teammate toward another.
Closer: The quarterback throws this toward an eligible receiver.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 4 letters total
Answer
PASS
Word 4
Vague: A planned burst of coordinated action.
Closer: A huddle often sets this designed sequence before the snap.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 4 letters total
Answer
PLAY
Word 5
Vague: A quick charge toward territory or an opponent.
Closer: A ball carrier advances on the ground, or a defender charges toward the quarterback.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 4 letters total
Answer
RUSH
Word 6
Vague: A large venue built around a field.
Closer: Tiered seating surrounds the field inside this major sports venue.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 7 letters total
Answer
STADIUM
Word 7
Vague: A stop made through physical contact.
Closer: A defender brings the ball carrier to the turf with this move.
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 6 letters total
Answer
TACKLE
Word 8
Vague: One of the tall vertical bars above a crossbar.
Closer: A field-goal try must travel between the pair extending above the crossbar.
Letter Clue: Starts with U, 7 letters total
Answer
UPRIGHT
Full Answers
Spangram: FOOTBALL
Theme Words:
- DOWN
- KICK
- PASS
- PLAY
- RUSH
- STADIUM
- TACKLE
- UPRIGHT
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, the broad vocabulary mixes actions, a venue, and scoring equipment.
Trickiest Word: UPRIGHT is the trickiest word because its everyday adjective meaning can obscure its use here as a goalpost noun.
Our Take: The list has a satisfying spread, moving from field actions such as DOWN, KICK, PASS, PLAY, RUSH, and TACKLE to STADIUM and UPRIGHT. FOOTBALL ties those different types together cleanly, so the theme feels broad without losing focus.
