Play Strands #928
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 #928 hints
Today's official theme is "A little comic relief". 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 the names of syndicated cartoon strips that readers have enjoyed over their morning coffee for decades.
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How many words am I looking for?Gentle hint
There are 6 theme words plus the spangram.
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A nudge toward the spangramHelpful hint
Think of the section of the newspaper where you would find all of these strips printed together, usually in color on Sundays.
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How do the theme words start?Helpful hint
The theme words start with: B, M, P, P, Z, Z.
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How long is the spangram, and which way does it run?Strong hint
The spangram has 13 letters and runs from top to bottom.
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Strands #928 in numbers
- Theme words
- 6
- Recent average
- 5.7
- Spangram length
- 13 letters
- Longest theme word
- 7 letters
Strands #928 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are the spangram and all theme words for September 17, 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 (4 letters)
ZITS. It starts in row 5, column 1, counting from the top left.
Theme word 2 (5 letters)
MUTTS. It starts in row 2, column 4, counting from the top left.
Theme word 3 (5 letters)
ZIPPY. It starts in row 1, column 2, counting from the top left.
Theme word 4 (7 letters)
BLONDIE. It starts in row 6, column 3, counting from the top left.
Theme word 5 (7 letters)
PEANUTS. It starts in row 6, column 1, counting from the top left.
Theme word 6 (7 letters)
PICKLES. It starts in row 4, column 3, counting from the top left.
The spangram (13 letters)
THEFUNNYPAGES. It starts in row 1, column 1, counting from the top left.
Everything at once
Show every theme word and the solved board
Spangram: THEFUNNYPAGES
Theme words: BLONDIE, MUTTS, PEANUTS, PICKLES, ZIPPY, ZITS
The clue 'A little comic relief' is a pun on comic strips, which provide a light break from the heavy news in a paper. The theme words BLONDIE, MUTTS, PEANUTS, PICKLES, ZIPPY, and ZITS are all well-known comic strips, and THEFUNNYPAGES is the newspaper section where they run.
What does ZIPPY mean?
A long-running comic strip created by Bill Griffith, starring Zippy the Pinhead, a surreal, muumuu-wearing character who speaks in non-sequiturs. It is far stranger and less widely known than the other strips in the puzzle.
Recent Strands puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 16 | #927 | Hard not to notice |
| Sep 15 | #926 | If you build it |
| Sep 14 | #925 | OH MY GOSH!! |
| Sep 13 | #924 | Top secret |
| Sep 12 | #923 | Don't obsess |
| Sep 11 | #922 | Harbor view |
| Sep 10 | #921 | Victory lap |
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 Sep 17
Strands #928 questions
What was the Strands spangram on September 17, 2026?
The spangram for Strands #928 was THEFUNNYPAGES, for the theme "A little comic relief".
What were the Strands theme words on September 17, 2026?
BLONDIE, MUTTS, PEANUTS, PICKLES, ZIPPY, ZITS, plus the spangram THEFUNNYPAGES.
What did the Strands #928 clue mean?
The clue 'A little comic relief' is a pun on comic strips, which provide a light break from the heavy news in a paper. The theme words BLONDIE, MUTTS, PEANUTS, PICKLES, ZIPPY, and ZITS are all well-known comic strips, and THEFUNNYPAGES is the newspaper section where they run.