Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, September 12, 2026 (Puzzle #923). 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: "Don't obsess"
What It Really Means
You are hunting for verbs about ending a connection, loosening a hold, or stepping away from a fixation.
Think About...
- Creating distance from a connection.
- Ending your involvement in something.
- Removing a physical or emotional restraint.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 7 letters
Starting Zone: Row 4, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a brief command to stop clinging to something.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It is what you tell yourself when a worry, grudge, or attachment no longer deserves your grip.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is L, last letter is O
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LETITGO
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Separate yourself from a connection.
Closer: Remove a cable, component, or oneself from what it was connected to.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 6 letters total
Answer
DETACH
Word 2
Vague: Stop participating and step away.
Closer: This is what gears or a clutch do when they cease to mesh.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 9 letters total
Answer
DISENGAGE
Word 3
Vague: Remove a restraint or burden.
Closer: This four-letter verb can describe removing shackles or clearing someone from an obligation.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 4 letters total
Answer
FREE
Word 4
Vague: Set someone out of captivity.
Closer: A formal verb used when captives are set at liberty.
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 8 letters total
Answer
LIBERATE
Word 5
Vague: Allow something held back to depart.
Closer: Pressing a catch can allow a held object to move away.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 7 letters total
Answer
RELEASE
Word 6
Vague: Cause a binding to stop holding.
Closer: An old-fashioned verb for undoing a knot or turning something loose from confinement.
Letter Clue: Starts with U, 7 letters total
Answer
UNLOOSE
Full Answers
Spangram: LETITGO
Theme Words:
- DETACH
- DISENGAGE
- FREE
- LIBERATE
- RELEASE
- UNLOOSE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with a clear theme offset by one uncommon entry.
Trickiest Word: UNLOOSE is the likeliest stumbling block because it is uncommon and can look as though it should mean the opposite of LOOSE, even though it means to loosen or untie.
Our Take: LET IT GO states the theme's advice directly, while DETACH, DISENGAGE, FREE, LIBERATE, RELEASE, and UNLOOSE explore different ways of carrying it out. The mix moves cleanly from everyday language to the less familiar UNLOOSE, giving the final stretch a useful bite.
