Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, November 7, 2026 (Puzzle #979). 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: "In the blink of an eye"
What It Really Means
Look for words that describe moving very quickly. The prompt points toward speed rather than eyesight.
Think About...
- A vehicle passing before you can turn your head.
- The sound of something cutting rapidly through the air.
- Someone racing to meet a deadline.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 13 letters
Starting Zone: Row 4, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a conversational response to someone moving unnecessarily fast.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's a familiar question asking why someone needs to get going so quickly.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is W, last letter is Y
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WHATSTHEHURRY
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A sudden, brief burst of light.
Closer: A camera produces this burst of light to illuminate a photo.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 5 letters total
Answer
FLASH
Word 2
Vague: Move with alarming speed and force.
Closer: An out-of-control vehicle can do this down a steep slope.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 6 letters total
Answer
HURTLE
Word 3
Vague: Act with urgency and little time to spare.
Closer: This word comes before “hour” for the busiest commuting period.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 4 letters total
Answer
RUSH
Word 4
Vague: Move so quickly that you seem to leave a line behind.
Closer: A meteor can do this across the sky, and the same word means a run of consecutive wins.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
STREAK
Word 5
Vague: Zip past with a whistling or buzzing sound.
Closer: A bullet can do this past your ear, and the same word describes someone exceptionally skilled.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 4 letters total
Answer
WHIZ
Word 6
Vague: A breathy sound of rapid movement.
Closer: Say the airy sound a sudden gust makes as it sweeps past.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 6 letters total
Answer
WHOOSH
Word 7
Vague: Travel rapidly, especially with a motor.
Closer: A lens with this feature lets you make a distant subject appear closer.
Letter Clue: Starts with Z, 4 letters total
Answer
ZOOM
Full Answers
Spangram: WHATSTHEHURRY
Theme Words:
- FLASH
- HURTLE
- RUSH
- STREAK
- WHIZ
- WHOOSH
- ZOOM
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with a clear speed theme but several words whose other meanings can distract.
Trickiest Word: HURTLE gets my pick because its spelling is easy to confuse with “hurdle.” Here it means moving with great speed, rather than clearing an obstacle.
Our Take: “In the blink of an eye” gives this set a clear sense of speed, while WHATSTHEHURRY adds a playful request to slow down. WHOOSH and WHIZ bring sound into the mix, and FLASH and STREAK suggest movement glimpsed only briefly. That variety keeps the closely related answers from feeling repetitive.