Today's hints
Each hint gives a little more away. Stop as soon as it clicks.
Theme shape — reveal hint
The clue points to parts of a coastal navigation structure, not to a ship’s crew or a star chart. Expect six theme words (four to nine letters) plus one longer spangram that names the whole idea.
Short finds first — reveal hint
The shortest theme word is four letters and sits in the top-right corner of the grid. Spotting that compact loop early confirms you are naming structural pieces rather than sailing verbs.
Spangram geometry — reveal hint
The spangram has ten letters. It starts on the top row, takes a short rightward jog, then drops straight down a center-column spine until it touches the bottom edge—classic Strands edge-to-edge behavior.
Letter scaffolds — reveal hint
Theme words begin with B, D, G, L, S, and T. One nine-letter path climbs the left side of the board; a five-letter vertical path rises near the lower-right spine beside the spangram.
Spangram bookends — reveal hint
The spangram starts with L and ends with E. Once that through-line is locked, the remaining letters resolve into the lantern-room, gallery, dome, tower, staircase, and beacon vocabulary the clue is steering you toward.
The answer
The solution, explanation and solve notes stay hidden until you choose to reveal them.
Reveal answer and explanation
Answer board
Spangram
LIGHTHOUSE
Theme words
BEACONDOMEGALLERYLANTERNSTAIRCASETOWER
Why this answer
Strands #956 (print date October 15, 2026; constructed by Christina Iverson, edited by Tracy Bennett) uses the clue Sailor's guide. The six theme words are lighthouse anatomy and signaling parts, and the spangram LIGHTHOUSE names the structure that ties them together.
Theme words (publisher order)
- BEACON — a guiding signal or light; path starts just under the top-left corner and snakes through the upper-left letters.
- DOME — the rounded crown of the lantern room; a tight four-letter loop in the top-right corner.
- GALLERY — the outdoor walkway that rings the lantern; a seven-letter path along the lower-right edge.
- LANTERN — the glassed room that houses the lamp; seven letters in the upper-right quadrant beside DOME.
- STAIRCASE — the climb inside the shaft; the nine-letter path that zigzags up the left side of the board.
- TOWER — the tall shaft itself; five letters rising vertically in the lower-right column next to the spangram spine.
Spangram: LIGHTHOUSE runs L-I-G across the top row, then steps diagonally into the center column and continues H-T-H-O-U-S-E down to the bottom edge. Every letter on the board is used exactly once across the theme words and spangram.
Decoy watch: ordinary sailing words (sail, crew, ocean) are not on this board—the clue is about the land-based guide a sailor would watch for, not shipboard gear. GALLERY can feel like an art-museum false friend until the lighthouse lantern-walkway sense clicks beside LANTERN and DOME.
Solve notes
How to work Strands #956
Start from the clue’s literal job: what helps a sailor find safe water at night. That framing steers you toward lighthouse parts instead of nautical verbs.
DOME is the fastest confirmation—four letters packed in the top-right corner. After that, look for the ten-letter spangram spine: once LIGHTHOUSE cuts the board top-to-bottom, STAIRCASE on the left and TOWER beside the spine become much easier to trace, and LANTERN / GALLERY / BEACON claim the remaining clusters.
Non-theme words still earn in-game hint progress, so a few exploratory finds are useful while you test the lighthouse reading.
More Strands on TECHi
Play the official puzzle on NYT Strands.
Questions about this edition
What is today’s Strands spangram for October 15, 2026?
The spangram in Strands #956 is LIGHTHOUSE. It runs from the top row down a center spine to the bottom edge.
What are today’s Strands theme words?
BEACON, DOME, GALLERY, LANTERN, STAIRCASE, and TOWER — lighthouse parts and signaling vocabulary tied together by LIGHTHOUSE.
What does the clue “Sailor's guide” mean in Strands #956?
It points to a lighthouse: the land-based light a sailor uses for navigation, not a shipboard crew role or a constellation.
Where does the LIGHTHOUSE spangram sit on the board?
It starts with L-I-G on the top row, then continues down the center column through H-T-H-O-U-S-E until it touches the bottom edge.
How do you play NYT Strands?
Link adjacent letters (including diagonals) to find every theme word and the spangram. Every letter is used exactly once. See TECHi’s how-to-play guide for the full rules.
Recent Strands answers
Revisit the answers saved for each date.
Show the three most recent answers
Catching up? Here are the most recent solutions.
| Date | Puzzle | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Oct 14, 2026 | Strands #955 | Theme words: BEAST, BEAUTY, FROG, HARE, PRINCESS, TORTOISE. Spangram: ONCEUPONATIME. |
| Tue, Oct 13, 2026 | Strands #954 | Theme words: APPALL, CHAGRIN, EMBARRASS, MORTIFY, NONPLUS. Spangram: CRINGEWORTHY. |
| Mon, Oct 12, 2026 | Strands #953 | Theme words: DIALECT, JARGON, LINGO, PARLANCE, VERNACULAR. Spangram: TURNOFPHRASE. |
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