NYT Strands for 8 November 2026 has the theme “Disciplined combat”. There are five theme words and one spangram to find.
8 November 2026 NYT Strands #980 Theme: “Disciplined combat”
The board has 8 rows and 6 columns, and every letter belongs to one of the five theme words or the spangram.
8 November 2026 NYT Strands: Hints
Open the hints one at a time. Each hint gives away more than the one before it.
Hint 1 · a literal clue
The clue points to combat learned through disciplined practice.
Hint 2 · fighting disciplines
Look for names of established systems of combat training.
Hint 3 · first letters
The theme words start with J, K, K, N and T.
Hint 4 · spangram route
The spangram starts on the left edge of the board and ends in the bottom-right corner.
Hint 5 · spangram shape and meaning
The spangram has two words, with letter counts of 7 and 4. It means systems of combat practiced for self-defense, sport, or discipline.
Three words that earn a hint
These three words are valid on today’s board and are not theme words: INTO, WORK and TAKE. Entering three such words earns one hint in the game.
8 November 2026 NYT Strands: Answers
The five theme words and the spangram are folded below. Open them one at a time.
First two letters of each theme word
The theme words start with JU, KA, KI, NI and TA.
Today’s five theme words
- Judo
- Karate
- Kickboxing
- Ninjutsu
- Taekwondo
Spangram
The spangram names the theme and runs from one side of the board to the opposite side.
Spangram letter count
The spangram has 11 letters.
First and last spangram letters
The spangram starts with M and ends with S.
Today’s spangram
MARTIAL ARTS
Martial arts are systems of combat training. Judo, karate, kickboxing, ninjutsu, and taekwondo are all examples.
Reveal the board one word at a time
Each fold below adds one word to the board, so you can stop after any word. The last fold adds the spangram.
Word 1 of 6 on the board
Judo
Word 2 of 6 on the board
Karate
Word 3 of 6 on the board
Kickboxing
Word 4 of 6 on the board
Ninjutsu
Word 5 of 6 on the board
Taekwondo
Word 6 of 6 on the board
MARTIAL ARTS
Yesterday’s Strands answer for 7 November 2026
Yesterday’s theme was “In the blink of an eye”. The theme words were Flash, Hurtle, Rush, Streak, Whiz, Whoosh and Zoom, and the spangram was WHATSTHEHURRY.
More Strands: Yesterday’s puzzle · Play Strands on The New York Times
Also today: Wordle · Connections · Pips · Phrazle · Quordle · Keyword · Colordle · Unwordle · Hurdle · NYT Crossword · NYT Mini · NYT Midi · Jumble · Spelling Bee · Letter Boxed · Parseword · Poeltl
Earlier days: 7 Nov · 6 Nov · 5 Nov · 4 Nov · 3 Nov · 2 Nov · 1 Nov
Questions about Strands
When does Strands change to a new puzzle?
A new puzzle arrives at midnight in the player’s own time zone.
How many tries does a player get in Strands?
There is no limit on guesses, and the game cannot be lost.
Where can a person play Strands?
Play on The New York Times Games site or in the NYT Games app: Strands.
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