Today's Strands clue is "🦆🦆 ... 🪿". Use the hints below to find the theme words and the spangram.
Ready for a lively search? Keep an eye out for familiar words hiding in the grid.
Theme nudge: What to look for
Look for words tied to a childhood tag-style pastime with moving around in a ring.
Hint 1: How many words to find
There are 6 theme words plus one spangram.
Hint 2: The spangram
The spangram has 13 letters, starts with D, and runs from one side of the board to the other.
Hint 3: Theme word lengths and first letters
- 5 letters, starts with C
- 6 letters, starts with C
- 4 letters, starts with G
- 10 letters, starts with P
- 6 letters, starts with S
- 4 letters, starts with W
Show the spangram
DUCKDUCKGOOSE
Show all theme words
CHASE, CIRCLE, GAME, PLAYGROUND, SELECT, WALK
About this puzzle
- Made by Jen Scheerer
- 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
- CHASE: The act of one who chases another; a pursuit.
- CIRCLE: (geometry) A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are ...
- GAME: A playful or competitive activity.
- PLAYGROUND: (outdoors) A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and sl...
- SELECT: To choose one or more elements of a set, especially a set of options.
- WALK: (intransitive) To move on the feet by alternately setting each foot (or pair or group of feet, in the case of animals...
Play today's Strands at The New York Times
More hints for October 20, 2026
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