Play Strands #894
The same letter grid NYT shows. Drag across touching letters, or tap them one by one and tap the last letter again to check. Theme words turn blue and the spangram turns yellow. Hint outlines one word you haven't found. Nothing is saved, so your real game stays untouched.
Strands #894 hints
Today's official theme is "Discovered by accident". If that alone doesn't help, work down the hints below.
Hints used: 0
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What's the theme in plain words?Gentle hint
Look for everyday products and medical breakthroughs that came about when someone was working on something else and got a surprise result.
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How many words am I looking for?Gentle hint
There are 5 theme words plus the spangram.
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A nudge toward the spangramHelpful hint
Think of the general word for new things people create, especially ones that were stumbled upon by chance, and look for it stretching across the board.
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How do the theme words start?Helpful hint
The theme words start with: M, P, P, S, V.
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How long is the spangram, and which way does it run?Strong hint
The spangram has 10 letters and runs from top to bottom.
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Strands #894 in numbers
- Theme words
- 5
- Recent average
- 5.7
- Spangram length
- 10 letters
- Longest theme word
- 10 letters
Strands #894 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are the spangram and all theme words for August 14, 2026.
Reveal one word at a time
Only want a foothold? Open one word, find it on the board, then go back and try for the rest. Shorter words come first because they give away the least.
Theme word 1 (6 letters)
SLINKY. It starts in row 1, column 6, counting from the top left.
Theme word 2 (6 letters)
VELCRO. It starts in row 7, column 3, counting from the top left.
Theme word 3 (7 letters)
PLASTIC. It starts in row 4, column 1, counting from the top left.
Theme word 4 (9 letters)
MICROWAVE. It starts in row 4, column 4, counting from the top left.
Theme word 5 (10 letters)
PENICILLIN. It starts in row 3, column 6, counting from the top left.
The spangram (10 letters)
INVENTIONS. It starts in row 1, column 3, counting from the top left.
Everything at once
Show every theme word and the solved board
Spangram: INVENTIONS
Theme words: MICROWAVE, PENICILLIN, PLASTIC, SLINKY, VELCRO
Each theme word is something that was found by happy accident: the microwave came from a melted candy bar near radar equipment, penicillin from mold on a lab dish, plastic, the Slinky from a falling spring, and Velcro from burrs stuck to a dog. All of them are accidental INVENTIONS, which is the spangram.
Recent Strands puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 13 | #893 | Coming in hot |
| Aug 12 | #892 | Making a difference |
| Aug 11 | #891 | Fresh from the market |
| Aug 10 | #890 | Back it up |
| Aug 9 | #889 | Isn't that a bit much? |
| Aug 8 | #888 | It has its ups and downs |
| Aug 7 | #887 | Struggling to find the words |
About Strands
Strands is a daily New York Times word search with a theme. Every letter on the six-by-eight board belongs to an answer, and one answer, the spangram, names the theme and stretches between opposite sides of the board. Past puzzles are a good way to learn how the themed clues are usually worded.
Other puzzles on Aug 14
Strands #894 questions
What was the Strands spangram on August 14, 2026?
The spangram for Strands #894 was INVENTIONS, for the theme "Discovered by accident".
What were the Strands theme words on August 14, 2026?
MICROWAVE, PENICILLIN, PLASTIC, SLINKY, VELCRO, plus the spangram INVENTIONS.
What did the Strands #894 clue mean?
Each theme word is something that was found by happy accident: the microwave came from a melted candy bar near radar equipment, penicillin from mold on a lab dish, plastic, the Slinky from a falling spring, and Velcro from burrs stuck to a dog. All of them are accidental INVENTIONS, which is the spangram.