NYT Strands for 22 October 2026 has the theme “Any relation?”. There are five theme words and one spangram to find.
22 October 2026 NYT Strands #963 Theme: “Any relation?”
The board has 8 rows and 6 columns, and every letter belongs to one of the five theme words or the spangram.
22 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 reading
Read the clue as a reference to being related.
Hint 2 · relatives and connections
Look for terms for relatives and the bonds between them.
Hint 3 · first letters
The theme words start with A, B, B, K and O.
Hint 4 · spangram route
The spangram starts in the top-left corner 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 the bonds that connect relatives.
Three words that earn a hint
These three words are valid on today’s board and are not theme words: THEIR, ONLY and HERE. Entering three such words earns one hint in the game.
22 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 AN, BL, BR, KI and OF.
Today’s five theme words
- Ancestors
- Blood
- Brethren
- Kinfolk
- Offspring
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 F and ends with S.
Today’s spangram
FAMILY TIES
Family ties are the connections between relatives. The theme words refer to relatives across generations or the shared ancestry that links them.
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
Ancestors
Word 2 of 6 on the board
Blood
Word 3 of 6 on the board
Brethren
Word 4 of 6 on the board
Kinfolk
Word 5 of 6 on the board
Offspring
Word 6 of 6 on the board
FAMILY TIES
Yesterday’s Strands answer for 21 October 2026
Yesterday’s theme was “On a higher level”. The theme words were Boxes, Decorations, Luggage, Trunks and Yearbooks, and the spangram was INTHEATTIC.
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: 21 Oct · 20 Oct · 19 Oct · 18 Oct · 17 Oct · 16 Oct · 15 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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