Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, July 16, 2026 (Puzzle #865). 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: "Rerouting..."
What It Really Means
Every word in today's grid describes a way to change direction or alter your course. Whether you're driving, sailing, or navigating a conversation, these are the vocabulary of turning away from a straight line.
Think About...
- Sudden directional changes while driving or walking
- Sailing terminology for shifting direction relative to the wind
- Words that mean "to go a different way" or "to change your path"
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Diagonal (wraps from upper right to lower left)
Letter Count: 12 letters
Starting Zone: Begins at the first letter of the fourth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think about what you do when your original plan stops working. It's a two-word phrase about altering your trajectory.
Hint 2 (Warmer): This is the opposite of sticking to the original plan. It's what pilots, drivers, and project managers all have to do when conditions shift.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is C, last letter is E
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CHANGECOURSE
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A pattern of sharp, alternating turns
Closer: Think of a road that snakes back and forth up a mountain
Letter Clue: Starts with Z, 6 letters total
Answer
ZIGZAG
Word 2
Vague: To stray from the expected path
Closer: When you go off course, either intentionally or by accident
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 7 letters total
Answer
DEVIATE
Word 3
Vague: A sudden change in direction
Closer: What a car does when it swerves sharply to avoid something
Letter Clue: Starts with V, 4 letters total
Answer
VEER
Word 4
Vague: A nautical term for changing direction
Closer: Sailors use this when they turn the bow through the wind
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 4 letters total
Answer
TACK
Word 5
Vague: To rotate or turn around a central point
Closer: A basketball player does this to change direction while keeping one foot planted
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 5 letters total
Answer
PIVOT
Word 6
Vague: An abrupt sideways movement
Closer: What a driver does to avoid an obstacle in the road
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
SWERVE
Word 7
Vague: To change direction by rotating
Closer: What you do at a corner or intersection
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 4 letters total
Answer
TURN
Full Answers
Spangram: CHANGECOURSE
Theme Words:
- ZIGZAG
- DEVIATE
- VEER
- TACK
- PIVOT
- SWERVE
- TURN
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: TACK (Nautical terminology like "tacking" might not be top of mind for land-based solvers, making it the least obvious direction-change word in the set.)
Our Take: A satisfyingly cohesive theme with seven solid synonyms for course correction. "CHANGECOURSE" as the spangram is a clever two-worder that ties the whole thing together. The diagonal spangram path adds an extra layer of challenge, but once you spot the pattern, the theme words fall into place cleanly.
