NYT Strands puzzle for October 26 offers theme and answers
The October 26 edition of The New York Times Strands puzzle (number 967) has a “Please, be my guest!” theme, six related words, and an 11-letter spangram that runs from the top to the bottom-left of the grid.
The New York Times Strands puzzle for October 26 (number 967) uses the theme “Please, be my guest!”. The grid contains six theme words—ENTERTAIN, HOST, INVITE, MEET, RECEIVE and WELCOME—plus an 11-letter spangram, HOSPITALITY, that stretches from the top of the board to the bottom-left.
Strands differs from traditional word searches by allowing words to be formed from adjacent letters in any direction, and the objective is to fill the entire 48-letter (6 × 8) board. Players can also earn hints by finding non-theme words of at least four letters; three such words reveal letters of a theme word.
The puzzle is rated “moderate” in difficulty by the NYT. Compared with Wordle, Strands requires solving multiple words and includes a built-in hint system and unlimited guesses, which the outlet notes makes it generally more challenging.
For those seeking help, the guide lists example non-theme words such as COVE, HALT, PEER, POSE, TREE and VINE, and confirms that the spangram is a single 11-letter word that touches opposite sides of the grid.