Today's NYT Strands is live for Monday, September 14, 2026 (Puzzle #925). 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: "OH MY GOSH!!"
What It Really Means
You are hunting for actions and involuntary reactions associated with a sudden, intense surprise.
Think About...
- A voice bursting out before composure returns.
- A body going rigid or pulling away.
- A sharp breath or involuntary tremor.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 13 letters
Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): The spangram is a familiar reaction to an astonishing revelation.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think of a complete sentence someone might blurt out after hearing something deeply surprising.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is T, last letter is G
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THATSSHOCKING
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: To speak with sudden force or strong feeling.
Closer: This verb often introduces a quoted outburst marked by an exclamation point.
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 7 letters total
Answer
EXCLAIM
Word 2
Vague: To become completely motionless in a tense moment.
Closer: It is the command to stop moving, and also a common fear response.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 6 letters total
Answer
FREEZE
Word 3
Vague: To draw a sudden, audible breath.
Closer: It is the quick intake of breath prompted by surprise, fear, or awe.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 4 letters total
Answer
GASP
Word 4
Vague: To jerk backward in instinctive alarm or disgust.
Closer: It describes physically shrinking back from something unpleasant or alarming.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 6 letters total
Answer
RECOIL
Word 5
Vague: To tremble involuntarily after something disturbing.
Closer: It is a brief full-body tremble caused by fear, revulsion, or cold.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 7 letters total
Answer
SHUDDER
Word 6
Vague: To make a sudden involuntary movement when caught off guard.
Closer: As a noun, it is a small involuntary jump caused by sudden surprise.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
START
Full Answers
Spangram: THATSSHOCKING
Theme Words:
- EXCLAIM
- FREEZE
- GASP
- RECOIL
- SHUDDER
- START
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, because the list mixes vocal responses with several closely related physical reactions.
Trickiest Word: START is the trickiest word because its familiar meaning as a beginning can conceal its less immediate sense of an involuntary jolt.
Our Take: THATSSHOCKING gives the set a crisp spoken centerpiece, while EXCLAIM and GASP cover what escapes the voice and breath. FREEZE, RECOIL, SHUDDER, and START shift the same surprise into the body, making the finished list feel varied but tightly connected.
