Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, September 17, 2026 (Puzzle #928). 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: "A little comic relief"
What It Really Means
The hunt is for titles of long-running newspaper comic strips, each associated with a recurring cast.
Think About...
- Domestic life and marriage.
- Pets and their human companions.
- Childhood, adolescence, and offbeat satire.
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): Think about the shared home where these recurring illustrated features traditionally appear.
Hint 2 (Warmer): The spanning phrase is an old familiar name for the newspaper section filled with sequential art and punch lines.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is T, last letter is S
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THEFUNNYPAGES
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A domestic classic built around a married couple and the chaos of home and work.
Closer: Dagwood Bumstead and his towering sandwiches are central to this household classic.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 7 letters total
Answer
BLONDIE
Word 2
Vague: A gentle animal-centered feature shaped by a cat-and-dog friendship.
Closer: Mooch the cat and Earl the dog lead this warm feature about companion animals.
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 5 letters total
Answer
MUTTS
Word 3
Vague: A childhood ensemble balances schoolyard mishaps with surprisingly thoughtful observations.
Closer: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the neighborhood children form its unforgettable cast.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 7 letters total
Answer
PEANUTS
Word 4
Vague: An older married pair turns everyday family life into affectionate humor.
Closer: Earl and Opal are the longtime spouses at the center of this family feature.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 7 letters total
Answer
PICKLES
Word 5
Vague: Surreal satire follows an eccentric outsider through an absurd version of American life.
Closer: Bill Griffith created this polka-dot-clad pinhead protagonist and his surreal adventures.
Letter Clue: Starts with Z, 5 letters total
Answer
ZIPPY
Word 6
Vague: A teenager's household supplies jokes about school, parents, and growing up.
Closer: Jeremy Duncan is the teenage son whose family life drives this strip.
Letter Clue: Starts with Z, 4 letters total
Answer
ZITS
Full Answers
Spangram: THEFUNNYPAGES
Theme Words:
- BLONDIE
- MUTTS
- PEANUTS
- PICKLES
- ZIPPY
- ZITS
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium to tough, because several titles double as ordinary words and the surreal entry is less immediately anchored by its cast.
Trickiest Word: ZIPPY is the likeliest stall because it reads naturally as an ordinary adjective, while its connection to Bill Griffith's surreal strip requires more specific recall.
Our Take: THEFUNNYPAGES neatly explains why BLONDIE, MUTTS, PEANUTS, PICKLES, ZIPPY, and ZITS belong together. The list mixes household staples, animal companionship, childhood reflection, teenage friction, and surreal satire, giving the theme satisfying range without breaking its newspaper focus.
