Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, October 23, 2026 (Puzzle #964). 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: "None of your beeswax!"
What It Really Means
Look for words describing curiosity about other people's private affairs, especially when it crosses a boundary.
Think About...
- Conversations you were never invited to hear.
- Personal questions that go a step too far.
- A neighbor who monitors everyone else's affairs.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 8 letters
Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a person who has trouble respecting other people's privacy.
Hint 2 (Warmer): This meddler gets involved in everyone's affairs without being asked.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is B, last letter is Y
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BUSYBODY
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Learning something private by keeping quiet and listening.
Closer: Secretly listening to a conversation through a closed door.
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 13 letters total
Answer
EAVESDROPPING
Word 2
Vague: Always eager to find out more.
Closer: An adjective for a curious child who asks question after question.
Letter Clue: Starts with I, 11 letters total
Answer
INQUISITIVE
Word 3
Vague: Too interested in details that belong to someone else.
Closer: An adjective for a neighbor who insists on knowing your salary and relationship status.
Letter Clue: Starts with N, 4 letters total
Answer
NOSY
Word 4
Vague: Digging for information someone would rather keep private.
Closer: Pressing someone for secrets, or forcing a lid open with a tool.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 6 letters total
Answer
PRYING
Word 5
Vague: Inclined to investigate what other people are up to.
Closer: An adjective for someone who searches through private belongings, also the name of Charlie Brown's beagle.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
SNOOPY
Full Answers
Spangram: BUSYBODY
Theme Words:
- EAVESDROPPING
- INQUISITIVE
- NOSY
- PRYING
- SNOOPY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with closely related meanings that make it easier to recognize the theme than to distinguish every answer.
Trickiest Word: SNOOPY is the trickiest because the cartoon beagle association can overshadow its ordinary meaning of being intrusively curious.
Our Take: The prompt's sharp rebuff makes BUSYBODY a satisfying centerpiece, giving the intrusive behavior a person to attach to. EAVESDROPPING supplies a specific act, while INQUISITIVE adds a useful wrinkle because curiosity can be welcome until it crosses into someone else's private affairs.