If you’re hooked on the daily NYT Strands puzzle, you’re not alone. It’s a fresh word game from the New York Times that combines elements of a word search with clever, theme-based twists.

26 September 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “As Old as Time”

Today’s Strands ticks and tocks with an elegant theme rooted in the passage of time. “As Old as Time” takes us inside the workings of a classic timepiece — one that stands tall in the corner of history: the grandfather clock.

Hints for Today’s Strands

Before peeking at the full answers, here are eight gentle nudges:

  1. Mechanical Core: Think of the inner parts that make a clock function.
  2. Melodic Moment: One word is about the sweet sound that rings on the hour.
  3. Keep It Moving: Another refers to something that swings rhythmically back and forth.
  4. Heavy Lifting: One answer involves pieces that literally weigh things down.
  5. Old-Fashioned: These aren’t digital terms — they belong to antique clocks.
  6. Wind It Up: Look for a word tied to preparing the clock to run.
  7. Cogs & Parts: Imagine peeking inside a wooden cabinet of gears and rods.
  8. Spangram: The long phrase ties all of these old-world timekeepers together.

Today’s Strands Answers

  • GEARS – the cogs that drive the mechanism
  • CHIMES – the hourly melody of the clock
  • WINDER – the tool or key to reset the clock
  • WEIGHTS – the hanging parts that regulate movement
  • PENDULUM – the swinging piece keeping rhythm steady

Spangram

GRANDFATHER CLOCK — the centerpiece tying the theme together, representing the iconic tall timepiece with timeless charm.

How Strands works

Strands is a daily word search puzzle with a twist:

  • You’re given a theme.
  • The grid is packed with hidden words tied to that theme.
  • Words can run in any direction, including diagonals.
  • Once you find all the theme words, you’re done!

Each puzzle usually has around 6–8 theme words.

How to get and use hints

Hints are built right into Strands, and they’re super useful if you’re stuck:

  • To earn a hint, find any non-theme word of at least four letters in the grid.
  • Each valid extra word gives you one hint.
  • When you use a hint, one of the theme words will be revealed automatically, helping you move forward.

Pro tip: Don’t just burn hints — use them strategically when the grid feels impossible. Sometimes a single revealed word unlocks the entire board.

Tips to become a NYT Strands pro

  1. Start with obvious words. Look for clear connections to the theme first.
  2. Scan diagonals early. Strands loves to hide words at an angle.
  3. Build around found words. Once one word is cleared, the leftover letters often point to the next.
  4. Use hints wisely. Earn them steadily by spotting extra words, then save them for when you’re truly stuck.
  5. Think about synonyms. The theme clue isn’t always literal — broaden your thinking.

Final Thoughts

September 26’s Strands was a puzzle steeped in tradition and mechanics. A reminder that even in a digital age, the timeless rhythm of a pendulum still captures imagination.

This one felt like stepping into a workshop of old horologists. Each word clicked into place like clockwork, making the solve as satisfying as hearing a grandfather clock strike midnight.