Today's hints
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The answer
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Why this answer
What the word means, where the trap was, and how the solve unfolds.
Strands #932 for Monday, September 21, 2026 is a closet of 1990s fashion. The official clue is “It's back!” The theme words are GRUNGE, LYCRA, NEON, SCRUNCHIES, and TRACKSUITS. The spangram is NINETIESTREND.
NINETIESTREND snakes across the top two rows, starting in the second column and finishing in the far-right column. That placement is why the clue works: the long word is the decade, and the leftover letters are the clothes and colors that keep coming back. SCRUNCHIES sits along the left and lower-left; TRACKSUITS occupies the middle-right; GRUNGE curls through the lower-right; LYCRA sits mid-board; NEON is a short run along the bottom.
Recent Strands answers
Two weeks of solutions, newest first. Handy for a broken streak or a missed day.
Catching up? Here are the most recent solutions.
| Date | Puzzle | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Sep 20, 2026 | Strands #931 | Theme words: BLUSTER, BOAST, BRAG, FLEX, GLOAT, POSTURE, STRUT. Spangram: GRANDIOSITY. |
| Sat, Sep 19, 2026 | Strands #930 | Theme words: ARRR, AVAST, HEARTIES, MATEY, SAVVY, YOHOHO. Spangram: TALKLIKEAPIRATE. |
| Fri, Sep 18, 2026 | Strands #929 | Theme words: AGREEMENT, CONTRACT, COVENANT, PACT, TREATY. Spangram: LETSMAKEADEAL. |
| Thu, Sep 17, 2026 | Strands #928 | Theme words: BLONDIE, MUTTS, PEANUTS, PICKLES, ZIPPY, ZITS. Spangram: THEFUNNYPAGES. |
| Wed, Sep 16, 2026 | Strands #927 | Theme words: BRIGHT, FLASHY, JAZZY, STRIKING, VIBRANT, VIVID. Spangram: EYECATCHING. |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | Strands #926 | Theme words: ANCHOR, BOLT, BRACKET, HINGE, JOIST, KNOB, NAIL, SCREW. Spangram: HARDWARE. |
| Mon, Sep 14, 2026 | Strands #925 | Theme words: EXCLAIM, FREEZE, GASP, RECOIL, SHUDDER, START. Spangram: THAT’S SHOCKING. |
| Sun, Sep 13, 2026 | Strands #924 | Theme words: AGENT, ASSET, COUNTERSPY, MOLE, OPERATIVE, PLANT. Spangram: UNDERCOVER. |
| Sat, Sep 12, 2026 | Strands #923 | Theme words: DETACH, DISENGAGE, FREE, LIBERATE, RELEASE, UNLOOSE. Spangram: LET IT GO. |
| Fri, Sep 11, 2026 | Strands #922 | Theme words: BARGE, BRIDGE, DOCK, LIGHTHOUSE, PIER, SHIP. Spangram: ON THE WATERFRONT. |
| Thu, Sep 10, 2026 | Strands #921 | Theme words: CROWN, LAURELS, MEDAL, PENNANT, PRIZE, TROPHY. Spangram: WE HAVE A WINNER. |
| Wed, Sep 9, 2026 | Strands #920 | Theme words: ARBOR, BOWER, CANOPY, GAZEBO, PAVILION, PERGOLA. Spangram: SUN AND SHADE. |
| Tue, Sep 8, 2026 | Strands #919 | Theme words: CUBBY, DESK, EASEL, GLOBE, MARKERS, WHITEBOARD. Spangram: BACK TO SCHOOL. |
| Mon, Sep 7, 2026 | Strands #918 | Theme words: AGREE, COMPROMISE, NEGOTIATE, SETTLE, SHARE. Spangram: MEETMEHALFWAY. |
Solve notes
The opener that would have found it, and what to carry into tomorrow.
Why the spangram fits
Once you read “It's back!” as a fashion revival, the board stops looking like random fabric words. A decade-name spanning the top leaves five 90s items in the remaining letters, and every letter is used once.
If the long word is not clicking, find NEON or LYCRA first. Those short theme words open corridors into SCRUNCHIES and TRACKSUITS, and the leftover path is the spangram.
For theme-word and hint rules, see the Strands how-to guide.
Questions people ask
The things readers search about today's Strands, answered plainly.
What is today’s Strands spangram for September 21, 2026?
The spangram in Strands #932 is NINETIESTREND.
What are today’s Strands theme words?
GRUNGE, LYCRA, NEON, SCRUNCHIES, and TRACKSUITS.
What does the clue “It's back!” mean in Strands #932?
It points to 1990s fashion coming around again: grunge, Lycra, neon, scrunchies, and tracksuits, tied together by NINETIESTREND.
Where does the NINETIESTREND spangram sit?
It snakes across the top of the board, starting in the second column and ending in the far-right column.
When does the next Strands release?
Strands #933 releases at midnight ET on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Tomorrow's hints, in your inbox at midnight
Daily Strands hints, the answer explained, and one thing worth knowing about the word — sent at midnight ET.