Today's Strands Sports Edition is live for Monday, November 9, 2026 (Puzzle #20). 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: "Catch the wave"
What It Really Means
Look for surfing terms covering riding techniques, ocean conditions, and equipment.
Think About...
- Traditional longboard techniques.
- Ocean conditions along the coast.
- Equipment that keeps a rider connected.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 7 letters
Starting Zone: Row 6, letter 6
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of an excited call that sends riders toward the ocean.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's a familiar announcement that the waves are ready to ride.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is S, last letter is P
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SURFSUP
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A balancing maneuver associated with longboard surfing.
Closer: The rider balances at the nose of a longboard with the toes of both feet extending over the front edge.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 7 letters total
Answer
HANGTEN
Word 2
Vague: An abrupt, unwanted end to a surfing ride.
Closer: The surfer loses balance and falls off the board into the water.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 7 letters total
Answer
WIPEOUT
Word 3
Vague: An action that propels a surfer through the water.
Closer: Lying on the board, a surfer uses arm strokes to move toward an incoming wave.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 6 letters total
Answer
PADDLE
Word 4
Vague: An ocean condition surfers watch when judging the prospects for a session.
Closer: These organized ocean waves can travel far from the winds that generated them.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SWELL
Word 5
Vague: A hollow wave formation a surfer can ride inside.
Closer: The wave curls overhead to form a tube around the rider.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total
Answer
BARREL
Word 6
Vague: A location surfers seek out for rideable waves.
Closer: Sandbanks, reefs, and coastal points can create this kind of surfing spot.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BREAK
Word 7
Vague: A piece of equipment that keeps a surfer attached to the board.
Closer: This cord typically runs from an ankle cuff to the board, helping keep it nearby after a fall.
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 5 letters total
Answer
LEASH
Full Answers
Spangram: SURFSUP
Theme Words:
- HANGTEN
- WIPEOUT
- PADDLE
- SWELL
- BARREL
- BREAK
- LEASH
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with familiar vocabulary balanced by more specialized surfing terms.
Trickiest Word: HANGTEN is the strongest candidate to stall a solve because it joins a spoken phrase into a single entry and calls for knowledge of a specific longboard maneuver.
Our Take: SURFSUP gives “Catch the wave” an upbeat payoff, while the word list fills out the scene with technique, conditions, equipment, and the occasional WIPEOUT. The contrast between HANGTEN and everyday words such as BREAK makes the theme satisfying, as familiar language takes on precise sporting meanings.