Today's NYT Strands is live for Sunday, November 15, 2026 (Puzzle #987). 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: "Foiled again!"
What It Really Means
Look for names of comic-book foes whose schemes keep getting thwarted. “Foiled again!” points to another defeated plot.
Think About...
- Outlandish criminal aliases.
- Theatrical costumes and signature gimmicks.
- Schemes undone by a caped crimefighter.
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 about who ends a superhero story with their plans in ruins.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Gotham's masked protector has a long list of these recurring enemies.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is B, last letter is N
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BATMANVILLAIN
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A tiny source of light after dusk.
Closer: A beetle whose abdomen flashes on summer evenings.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 7 letters total
Answer
FIREFLY
Word 2
Vague: Someone who treats everything as a laughing matter.
Closer: A playing card outside the usual suits, often depicted as a jester.
Letter Clue: Starts with J, 5 letters total
Answer
JOKER
Word 3
Vague: An animal dressed for a formal occasion, at least in appearance.
Closer: A flightless seabird with flippers and a waddling walk.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 7 letters total
Answer
PENGUIN
Word 4
Vague: Someone who makes you work for an answer.
Closer: A question-mark-covered adversary who leaves brainteasers as clues.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 7 letters total
Answer
RIDDLER
Word 5
Vague: A silent sentry stationed among crops.
Closer: A straw-stuffed figure in old clothes, put in a field to deter birds.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 9 letters total
Answer
SCARECROW
Full Answers
Spangram: BATMANVILLAIN
Theme Words:
- FIREFLY
- JOKER
- PENGUIN
- RIDDLER
- SCARECROW
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with the main hurdle being the shift from everyday word meanings to criminal aliases.
Trickiest Word: FIREFLY is my pick for the sticking point. Its glowing-insect meaning offers a strong distraction from the criminal alias the theme requires.
Our Take: “Foiled again!” neatly evokes a defeated foe, and BATMANVILLAIN gives that idea a precise home. JOKER and RIDDLER make the connection click, while FIREFLY, PENGUIN, and SCARECROW add satisfying double meanings. The pleasure comes from recognizing familiar words as a cast of adversaries.