Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, October 2, 2026 (Puzzle #943). 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: "On the sly ..."
What It Really Means
“On the sly ...” points to adjectives for hidden actions, dishonest intentions, and behavior designed to escape notice.
Think About...
- Secret missions carried out without public knowledge.
- Untrustworthy expressions and dishonest schemes.
- Quiet movements and anxious glances meant to avoid attention.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 14 letters
Starting Zone: Row 5, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of an activity someone would prefer to keep unnoticed.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Picture someone slipping from place to place while trying to avoid being spotted.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is S, last letter is D
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SNEAKINGAROUND
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Kept secret rather than openly acknowledged.
Closer: An adjective for an intelligence operation whose existence is kept secret.
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total
Answer
COVERT
Word 2
Vague: Willing to use dishonest tricks to get a desired result.
Closer: A schemer who manipulates others through elaborate lies earns this description.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 7 letters total
Answer
DEVIOUS
Word 3
Vague: Trying to escape notice, with an air of nervous secrecy.
Closer: Often paired with “glance,” describing a quick look taken in hopes that nobody notices.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 7 letters total
Answer
FURTIVE
Word 4
Vague: Giving you reason to doubt someone's honesty.
Closer: Often paired with “eyes,” suggesting someone evasive and difficult to trust.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
SHIFTY
Word 5
Vague: Able to move without drawing attention.
Closer: Describes a cat approaching its prey with quiet, carefully controlled steps.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
STEALTHY
Full Answers
Spangram: SNEAKINGAROUND
Theme Words:
- COVERT
- DEVIOUS
- FURTIVE
- SHIFTY
- STEALTHY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with a clear theme but closely related adjectives that demand a little vocabulary sorting.
Trickiest Word: FURTIVE is my pick because it suggests guarded, secretive behavior, especially a glance or gesture, rather than simply moving quietly.
Our Take: SNEAKINGAROUND gives “On the sly ...” a concrete action, while the word list explores both concealment and dishonesty. The distinction between STEALTHY movement and DEVIOUS intent gives this compact theme a satisfying bit of range.
