Today's Strands Sports Edition is live for Thursday, November 5, 2026 (Puzzle #16). Stuck on today's Strands Sports Edition? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Sports Edition Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands Sports Edition is the free daily sports word search from The Athletic and NYT Games. It hides sports-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 two opposite sides.
Need a boost? Every three non-theme words you find (four letters or longer) earn a hint that highlights the letters of a theme word. A new puzzle arrives every day at midnight local time.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Cold play"
What It Really Means
Look for names of physical items used during play, including things competitors wear.
Think About...
- Consider the goalkeeper's role.
- Think about how teams show their identity.
- Compare traditional match-day clothing with modern versions.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 6 letters
Starting Zone: Row 3, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a team sport where players defend goals at opposite ends.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Picture a frozen rink, quick passes, and frequent line changes.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is H, last letter is Y
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HOCKEY
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A piece of clothing that identifies a player's team.
Closer: The traditional term for a player's team jersey.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 7 letters total
Answer
SWEATER
Word 2
Vague: Protection associated with a goalkeeper's face.
Closer: A goalkeeper's face covering, often decorated with a custom painted design.
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 4 letters total
Answer
MASK
Word 3
Vague: Protective pieces that cushion the body against impacts.
Closer: A goalkeeper wears large versions of these over the legs to help block shots.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 4 letters total
Answer
PADS
Word 4
Vague: Protective wear for a player's hands.
Closer: These cover the fingers and backs of the hands while allowing a firm grip.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 6 letters total
Answer
GLOVES
Word 5
Vague: A rigid piece of protection worn above the shoulders.
Closer: This protective head covering is secured with a chin strap.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 6 letters total
Answer
HELMET
Word 6
Vague: The handheld tool used to pass and shoot.
Closer: A long shaft ends in a curved blade for passing and shooting.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
STICK
Word 7
Vague: The small object both teams try to send into the goal.
Closer: The black rubber disc that slides across the ice.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 4 letters total
Answer
PUCK
Word 8
Vague: Footwear that lets players glide.
Closer: These boots have steel blades underneath for moving across the ice.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
SKATES
Full Answers
Spangram: HOCKEY
Theme Words:
- SWEATER
- MASK
- PADS
- GLOVES
- HELMET
- STICK
- PUCK
- SKATES
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Easy to Medium, with familiar objects once the sport clicks and a traditional clothing term adding a wrinkle.
Trickiest Word: SWEATER is the likeliest stumbling block because solvers picturing a team jersey must reach for its traditional hockey name.
Our Take: “Cold play” gives the theme a neat double meaning, and HOCKEY makes the equipment list fall into place. SWEATER adds a welcome vocabulary wrinkle alongside direct entries such as PUCK and SKATES.