Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, October 9, 2026 (Puzzle #950). 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: "That can't be right"
What It Really Means
Look for words that dismiss a statement as foolish, empty, or untrue. The prompt invites a skeptical response to something you've just heard.
Think About...
- An old-fashioned exclamation of disbelief.
- A sharp verdict on empty talk.
- A household waste term applied to a bad argument.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Top to bottom down the board
Letter Count: 12 letters
Starting Zone: Row 8, letter 3
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of your reaction to a claim that stretches credibility.
Hint 2 (Warmer): An adjective for a story you simply cannot accept as true.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is U, last letter is E
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UNBELIEVABLE
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A theatrical dismissal with an old-fashioned ring.
Closer: A blustering, old-fashioned exclamation meaning that a statement is absurd.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 10 letters total
Answer
BALDERDASH
Word 2
Vague: Talk that offers plenty of words and little substance.
Closer: A contemptuous label for foolish writing or tedious, empty chatter.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 6 letters total
Answer
DRIVEL
Word 3
Vague: A folksy label for a claim you don't buy.
Closer: An informal American term for bunk, often used to dismiss a tall tale.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 5 letters total
Answer
HOOEY
Word 4
Vague: A verdict on something that defies logic.
Closer: The straightforward term for words or ideas that lack meaning or logic.
Letter Clue: Starts with N, 8 letters total
Answer
NONSENSE
Word 5
Vague: Something worthless, whether physical or spoken.
Closer: The British term for household trash, also used to reject a ridiculous claim.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 7 letters total
Answer
RUBBISH
Full Answers
Spangram: UNBELIEVABLE
Theme Words:
- BALDERDASH
- DRIVEL
- HOOEY
- NONSENSE
- RUBBISH
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium. The skeptical theme is clear, but its old-fashioned vocabulary adds a wrinkle.
Trickiest Word: BALDERDASH is my pick for the toughest find. Its old-fashioned tone makes it less immediate than a blunt dismissal like NONSENSE.
Our Take: “That can't be right” gives this puzzle a satisfying conversational hook, with UNBELIEVABLE capturing the reaction and the theme words supplying the dismissals. BALDERDASH and HOOEY add character, while DRIVEL, NONSENSE, and RUBBISH keep the word list grounded in sharp, everyday judgments.
