Today's Strands Sports Edition is live for Sunday, November 15, 2026 (Puzzle #26). 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: "Line up, please"
What It Really Means
You're hunting for terms from American football's offensive vocabulary.
Think About...
- Think about the quarterback's role.
- Explore the vocabulary of receivers.
- Consider a coach's priorities when protecting a late lead.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 9 letters
Starting Zone: Row 4, letter 6
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think about what a coach sets before the snap.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Look for the umbrella term for how offensive players arrange themselves before a play.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is F, last letter is N
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FORMATION
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Think about where the quarterback receives the snap.
Closer: The quarterback starts back from the center and receives the snap through the air.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 7 letters total
Answer
SHOTGUN
Word 2
Vague: Think about an offense preparing for a short push into the end zone.
Closer: A heavy offensive package for punching into the end zone takes its name from the boundary the ball must cross.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 8 letters total
Answer
GOALLINE
Word 3
Vague: Look for a term describing receivers gathered close together.
Closer: The receivers start in a tight cluster, which can complicate a defense's coverage assignments.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BUNCH
Word 4
Vague: Think about an offense loading eligible receivers onto the same side.
Closer: This receiver alignment overloads a side, and its name also means journeys.
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 5 letters total
Answer
TRIPS
Word 5
Vague: Think of an offensive wrinkle that changes who receives the snap.
Closer: A running back receives the direct snap, with the usual quarterback displaced from that role.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 7 letters total
Answer
WILDCAT
Word 6
Vague: Think about an offense trying to let the remaining clock expire safely.
Closer: The quarterback kneels after the snap to protect a lead and run down the clock.
Letter Clue: Starts with V, 7 letters total
Answer
VICTORY
Full Answers
Spangram: FORMATION
Theme Words:
- SHOTGUN
- GOALLINE
- BUNCH
- TRIPS
- WILDCAT
- VICTORY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with a tougher edge if receiver terminology isn't familiar.
Trickiest Word: GOALLINE is my pick for the sticking point because the familiar football expression appears here as a single joined word.
Our Take: The prompt clicks neatly into place once FORMATION connects the answers. SHOTGUN and WILDCAT bring quarterback tactics into focus, while BUNCH and TRIPS reward receiver vocabulary and VICTORY supplies a fitting finish.