Play Strands #945
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 #945 hints
Today's official theme is "Grab your tokens". 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 classic video games from the golden age of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the kind you once played by dropping coins into a machine.
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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 noisy, flashing place where you would spend your quarters on these old cabinet-style entertainments, or the general label for what you play there.
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How do the theme words start?Helpful hint
The theme words start with: A, C, F, P, S.
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How long is the spangram, and which way does it run?Strong hint
The spangram has 11 letters and runs from bottom to top.
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Strands #945 in numbers
- Theme words
- 5
- Recent average
- 5.7
- Spangram length
- 11 letters
- Longest theme word
- 9 letters
Strands #945 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are the spangram and all theme words for October 4, 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)
PONG. It starts in row 8, column 6, counting from the top left.
Theme word 2 (7 letters)
FROGGER. It starts in row 3, column 3, counting from the top left.
Theme word 3 (8 letters)
SCRAMBLE. It starts in row 7, column 5, counting from the top left.
Theme word 4 (9 letters)
ASTEROIDS. It starts in row 1, column 2, counting from the top left.
Theme word 5 (9 letters)
CENTIPEDE. It starts in row 4, column 6, counting from the top left.
The spangram (11 letters)
ARCADEGAMES. It starts in row 8, column 1, counting from the top left.
Everything at once
Show every theme word and the solved board
Spangram: ARCADEGAMES
Theme words: ASTEROIDS, CENTIPEDE, FROGGER, PONG, SCRAMBLE
Tokens were what you used to start a round at a coin-operated machine, so the clue points to ARCADEGAMES. The theme words ASTEROIDS, CENTIPEDE, FROGGER, PONG, and SCRAMBLE are all classic titles you might have played at the arcade.
What does FROGGER mean?
A 1981 arcade game by Konami in which players guide frogs across a busy road and a river full of logs and turtles to reach safe homes. It is a classic of the golden age of arcades.
Recent Strands puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 | #944 | A figment of your imagination |
| Oct 2 | #943 | On the sly ... |
| Oct 1 | #942 | Things fall apart |
| Sep 30 | #941 | An instrumental destination |
| Sep 29 | #940 | Have a heart |
| Sep 28 | #939 | A form of art |
| Sep 27 | #938 | It's skin deep |
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 Oct 4
Strands #945 questions
What was the Strands spangram on October 4, 2026?
The spangram for Strands #945 was ARCADEGAMES, for the theme "Grab your tokens".
What were the Strands theme words on October 4, 2026?
ASTEROIDS, CENTIPEDE, FROGGER, PONG, SCRAMBLE, plus the spangram ARCADEGAMES.
What did the Strands #945 clue mean?
Tokens were what you used to start a round at a coin-operated machine, so the clue points to ARCADEGAMES. The theme words ASTEROIDS, CENTIPEDE, FROGGER, PONG, and SCRAMBLE are all classic titles you might have played at the arcade.