Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, October 15, 2026 (Puzzle #956). 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: "Sailor's guide"
What It Really Means
Look for structural features and signaling equipment associated with a coastal building that guides ships.
Think About...
- What a ship's crew looks for along a dark coastline.
- The uppermost features of a tall coastal building.
- How a keeper reaches the equipment high above the ground.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Top to bottom down the board
Letter Count: 10 letters
Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 2
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a fixed landmark that helps crews navigate near shore.
Hint 2 (Warmer): This coastal building sends a powerful beam out over the water.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is L, last letter is E
---
---
---
---
---
LIGHTHOUSE
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A visible signal that helps you find your way.
Closer: A guiding signal visible from a distance, such as a flashing lamp marking the coast.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total
Answer
BEACON
Word 2
Vague: A rounded feature above your head.
Closer: A roof shaped like the upper half of a sphere.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 4 letters total
Answer
DOME
Word 3
Vague: A place to stand outside, high above the ground.
Closer: The exterior walkway around the upper chamber, with a railing along its edge.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 7 letters total
Answer
GALLERY
Word 4
Vague: A protective enclosure for something that shines.
Closer: The glass chamber at the top that encloses the lamp and lens.
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 7 letters total
Answer
LANTERN
Word 5
Vague: An indoor route that carries you upward.
Closer: A series of steps inside the building, often arranged in a spiral.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 9 letters total
Answer
STAIRCASE
Word 6
Vague: A structure with much more height than width.
Closer: The tall main structure that raises the signaling equipment above the shore.
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 5 letters total
Answer
TOWER
Full Answers
Spangram: LIGHTHOUSE
Theme Words:
- BEACON
- DOME
- GALLERY
- LANTERN
- STAIRCASE
- TOWER
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with familiar building terms and a less obvious architectural meaning for GALLERY.
Trickiest Word: GALLERY is the likeliest stumbling block because its art-display meaning is a distraction. Here, it refers to the exterior walkway around the lighthouse's upper chamber.
Our Take: The theme prompt points toward navigation, while LIGHTHOUSE brings the search into focus as a single building and its features. BEACON supplies the guiding function, and DOME, GALLERY, LANTERN, STAIRCASE, and TOWER turn the list into a compact architectural tour. GALLERY adds a satisfying vocabulary twist to an otherwise concrete set.
