Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, October 17, 2026 (Puzzle #958). 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: "Quite the crush"
What It Really Means
Look for verbs describing the nervous, flustered things you do around someone you're attracted to.
Think About...
- What happens to your conversation when composure disappears.
- Physical signs of nerves that are hard to hide.
- The awkward ways excitement can affect your coordination.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 10 letters
Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think about the emotional experience behind all those nervous reactions.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It describes developing deep romantic feelings for someone.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is F, last letter is E
---
---
---
---
---
FALLINLOVE
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Let nerves take charge of your speech.
Closer: Talk rapidly and incoherently, letting one thought spill into the next.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total
Answer
BABBLE
Word 2
Vague: Show your embarrassment without saying anything.
Closer: Turn pink in the cheeks after an unexpected compliment.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BLUSH
Word 3
Vague: Give away your restlessness through little movements.
Closer: Keep shifting in your seat or fussing with your sleeves because you can't sit still.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 6 letters total
Answer
FIDGET
Word 4
Vague: Let amusement escape in a light, nervous sound.
Closer: Laugh in a series of small, high sounds, even at a joke that barely deserves it.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 6 letters total
Answer
GIGGLE
Word 5
Vague: React physically as though the room has grown warmer.
Closer: A more formal verb for sweating, complete with damp palms or a moist forehead.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 8 letters total
Answer
PERSPIRE
Word 6
Vague: Lose your usual smoothness while moving or speaking.
Closer: Trip over your own feet, or have trouble getting your words out smoothly.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 7 letters total
Answer
STUMBLE
Full Answers
Spangram: FALLINLOVE
Theme Words:
- BABBLE
- BLUSH
- FIDGET
- GIGGLE
- PERSPIRE
- STUMBLE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with a clear emotional connection once the prompt clicks, but a more formal vocabulary choice in PERSPIRE.
Trickiest Word: PERSPIRE is my pick because sweat comes to mind more readily in this flustered context. The more formal verb adds a small vocabulary hurdle.
Our Take: The charm of this theme is how concrete its romantic nerves become, from BABBLE and GIGGLE to BLUSH and PERSPIRE. FALLINLOVE supplies the emotional link, while FIDGET and STUMBLE round out the portrait of someone whose composure has deserted them.
