NYT Strands for 13 November 2026 has the theme “Not a good sign”. There are six theme words and one spangram to find.
13 November 2026 NYT Strands #985 Theme: “Not a good sign”
The board has 8 rows and 6 columns, and every letter belongs to one of the six theme words or the spangram.
13 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 figurative warning
The clue points to an omen of something unfortunate.
Hint 2 · familiar superstitions
Look for terms that combine into things associated with misfortune.
Hint 3 · first letters
The theme words start with B, F, M, S, S 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 6 and 4. It means very bad fortune.
Three words that earn a hint
These three words are valid on today’s board and are not theme words: THIS, MORE and BEEN. Entering three such words earns one hint in the game.
13 November 2026 NYT Strands: Answers
The six 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 BR, FL, MI, SA, SP and TH.
Today’s six theme words
- Broken
- Floor
- Mirror
- Salt
- Spilled
- Thirteenth
Spangram
The spangram names the theme and runs from one side of the board to the opposite side.
Spangram letter count
The spangram has 10 letters.
First and last spangram letters
The spangram starts with R and ends with K.
Today’s spangram
ROTTEN LUCK
Rotten luck means bad fortune. The theme words pair up as broken mirror, spilled salt, and thirteenth floor, all associated with superstitions about bad luck.
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 7 on the board
Broken
Word 2 of 7 on the board
Floor
Word 3 of 7 on the board
Mirror
Word 4 of 7 on the board
Salt
Word 5 of 7 on the board
Spilled
Word 6 of 7 on the board
Thirteenth
Word 7 of 7 on the board
ROTTEN LUCK
Yesterday’s Strands answer for 12 November 2026
Yesterday’s theme was “Facing the music”. The theme words were Concertgoer, Listener, Patron, Spectator and Viewer, and the spangram was AUDIENCE.
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: 12 Nov · 11 Nov · 10 Nov · 9 Nov · 8 Nov · 7 Nov · 6 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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