Updated for October 22, 2026. New hints go up when the puzzle changes at midnight Eastern time.
Today's Strands clue is "Any relation?". Use the hints below to find the theme words and the spangram.
Happy Strands day! Take your time and let the grid reveal its connections one by one.
Theme nudge: What to look for
Look for words about people linked by roots, generations, and shared branches on a tree.
Hint 1: How many words to find
There are 5 theme words plus one spangram.
Hint 2: The spangram
The spangram has 10 letters, starts with F, and runs from the top of the board to the bottom.
Hint 3: Theme word lengths and first letters
- 9 letters, starts with A
- 5 letters, starts with B
- 8 letters, starts with B
- 7 letters, starts with K
- 9 letters, starts with O
Show the spangram
FAMILYTIES
Show all theme words
ANCESTORS, BLOOD, BRETHREN, KINFOLK, OFFSPRING
About this puzzle
- Made by Tracy Bennett
- Edited by Tracy Bennett
Strands deep dive
More about today's puzzle. Everything in this section can include the answer.
The solved board
Gold squares are the spangram, green squares are theme words.
What the theme words mean
- ANCESTORS: an American five-piece doom metal ensemble, residing in Los Angeles, California, United States.
- BLOOD: A vital liquid flowing in the bodies of many types of animals that usually conveys nutrients and oxygen. In vertebrat...
- BRETHREN: (figuratively) The body of members, especially of a fraternal, religious or military order.
- KINFOLK: (US) Relatives, relations.
- OFFSPRING: A person's daughter or son; a person's child.
Play today's Strands at The New York Times
Recent Strands hints
Strands questions
How does Strands work?
Strands gives you a 6 by 8 board of letters and a short clue. You find theme words by connecting adjacent letters in any direction, and every letter on the board is used exactly once.
What is the spangram?
The spangram is a special word or phrase that describes the theme. It touches two opposite sides of the board, either top and bottom or left and right.
How do in-game hints work?
Finding three non-theme words of four letters or more earns a hint, which highlights the letters of one theme word.
When does the new Strands come out?
A new Strands puzzle starts at midnight local time each day.
Can letters be used twice?
No. Each letter belongs to exactly one word, so the finished board has no letters left over.