Mashable shares hints and solution for NYT Strands puzzle on September 26, 2026

Mashable released the clues and full answer for the New York Times' Strands word-search puzzle for September 26, 2026. The daily theme was described as "a breath of fresh air" and centered on weather-related terms such as "gust," "whiff," "breeze," "puff," "zephyr," "current" and "flurry." The puzzle’s spangram—a single word or phrase that spans the entire grid—was identified as "Gentle Wind" and runs vertically across the board. Mashable noted that Strands differs from other NYT games by requiring every letter in the grid to be part of a solution and by allowing words to change direction.

"The words are related to weather," the site wrote in its hint summary.

"These words describe air movements," it added in a follow-up note.

The outlet also provided the complete word list for the day, enabling players to verify their solutions quickly. Aside from the puzzle coverage, the article included standard promotional sections for Mashable newsletters and other media services.