NYT Strands for 20 October 2026 has the theme “🦆🦆 … 🪿”. There are six theme words and one spangram to find.
20 October 2026 NYT Strands #961 Theme: “🦆🦆 … 🪿”
The board has 8 rows and 6 columns, and every letter belongs to one of the six theme words or the spangram.
20 October 2026 NYT Strands: Hints
Open the hints one at a time. Each hint gives away more than the one before it.
Hint 1 · say it aloud
Read the emojis as a familiar childhood chant.
Hint 2 · actions and setting
Look for words describing a recess activity, its setting, and what participants do.
Hint 3 · first letters
The theme words start with C, C, G, P, S and W.
Hint 4 · spangram shape and meaning
The spangram has three words, with letter counts of 4, 4 and 5. It means a children’s activity where one person taps seated participants on the head and picks someone to run after them.
Three words that earn a hint
These three words are valid on today’s board and are not theme words: LONG, AROUND and EACH. Entering three such words earns one hint in the game.
20 October 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 CH, CI, GA, PL, SE and WA.
Today’s six theme words
- Chase
- Circle
- Game
- Playground
- Select
- Walk
Spangram
The spangram names the theme and runs from one side of the board to the opposite side.
Spangram letter count
The spangram has 13 letters.
First and last spangram letters
The spangram starts with D and ends with E.
Today’s spangram
DUCK DUCK GOOSE
Duck Duck Goose is a playground game where children sit in a circle. One player walks around to select someone, who then gives chase.
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
Chase
Word 2 of 7 on the board
Circle
Word 3 of 7 on the board
Game
Word 4 of 7 on the board
Playground
Word 5 of 7 on the board
Select
Word 6 of 7 on the board
Walk
Word 7 of 7 on the board
DUCK DUCK GOOSE
Yesterday’s Strands answer for 19 October 2026
Yesterday’s theme was “It’s all Greek to me”. The theme words were Deity, Dryad, Fates, Furies, Muses, Nymph and Satyr, and the spangram was MYTHOLOGICAL.
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: 19 Oct · 18 Oct · 17 Oct · 16 Oct · 15 Oct · 14 Oct · 13 Oct
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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