NYT Strands for 21 October 2026 has the theme “On a higher level”. There are five theme words and one spangram to find.
21 October 2026 NYT Strands #962 Theme: “On a higher level”
The board has 8 rows and 6 columns, and every letter belongs to one of the five theme words or the spangram.
21 October 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
Read the clue as a reference to a place above the main living space.
Hint 2 · stored belongings
Look for things people put away when they are not using them.
Hint 3 · first letters
The theme words start with B, D, L, T and Y.
Hint 4 · spangram route
The spangram starts on the left edge of the board and ends on the right edge.
Hint 5 · spangram shape and meaning
The spangram has three words, with letter counts of 2, 3 and 5. It means located in the space just below a home’s roof.
Three words that earn a hint
These three words are valid on today’s board and are not theme words: YEARS, LONG and DONE. Entering three such words earns one hint in the game.
21 October 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 BO, DE, LU, TR and YE.
Today’s five theme words
- Boxes
- Decorations
- Luggage
- Trunks
- Yearbooks
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 I and ends with C.
Today’s spangram
IN THE ATTIC
An attic is the space just below a home’s roof. Boxes, decorations, luggage, trunks, and yearbooks are things people often store there.
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
Boxes
Word 2 of 6 on the board
Decorations
Word 3 of 6 on the board
Luggage
Word 4 of 6 on the board
Trunks
Word 5 of 6 on the board
Yearbooks
Word 6 of 6 on the board
IN THE ATTIC
Yesterday’s Strands answer for 20 October 2026
Yesterday’s theme was “🦆🦆 … 🪿”. The theme words were Chase, Circle, Game, Playground, Select and Walk, and the spangram was DUCKDUCKGOOSE.
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: 20 Oct · 19 Oct · 18 Oct · 17 Oct · 16 Oct · 15 Oct · 14 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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