Strands #972 hints
The official theme was "It's in the bag". If it reads like a riddle, the first hint puts it in plain words.
Hints used: 0
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What's the theme in plain words?Gentle hint
Small goodies and surprises end up in a kid's sack on a certain fall night, and a few of them are things parents would pick over sweets.
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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
It's what kids shout at the door while holding out their bags on a late October evening, and it spans the whole board.
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How do the theme words start?Helpful hint
The theme words start with: A, C, F, R, S, T.
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How long is the spangram, and which way does it run?Strong hint
The spangram has 12 letters and runs from left to right.
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Play Strands #972
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 #972 in numbers
- Theme words
- 6
- Recent average
- 5.8
- Spangram length
- 12 letters
- Longest theme word
- 10 letters
- Rare letters on this board: K, Y. Words with them are a good place to start, since few words can use them.
- The 7 answers use all 48 letters, an average of 6.9 letters each.
Strands #972 answers
From here on, the theme words and spangram for October 31, 2026 are shown when you tap.
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)
RING. It starts in row 7, column 6, counting from the top left.
Theme word 2 (5 letters)
APPLE. It starts in row 2, column 5, counting from the top left.
Theme word 3 (5 letters)
CANDY. It starts in row 2, column 2, counting from the top left.
Theme word 4 (5 letters)
FANGS. It starts in row 6, column 5, counting from the top left.
Theme word 5 (7 letters)
STICKER. It starts in row 2, column 3, counting from the top left.
Theme word 6 (10 letters)
TOOTHBRUSH. It starts in row 6, column 2, counting from the top left.
The spangram (12 letters)
TRICKORTREAT. It starts in row 3, column 1, counting from the top left.
Everything at once
Show every theme word and the solved board
Spangram: TRICKORTREAT
Theme words: APPLE, CANDY, FANGS, RING, STICKER, TOOTHBRUSH
The clue 'It's in the bag' points to the treats handed out to kids on Halloween, like CANDY, an APPLE, a STICKER, a TOOTHBRUSH, a RING, and even plastic FANGS. All of these end up in a bag when kids go out to TRICKORTREAT.
Puzzle note
The bag theme was easy to spot. A careful player would notice that the spangram, TRICKORTREAT, names the occasion, so once it is found, you know to look for anything a kid might get handed. That is how FANGS and RING, the odd ones out, still fit the bag.
On the board, the spangram TRICKORTREAT stretches between the left and right edges.
Recent Strands puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 30 | #971 | All charged up |
| Oct 29 | #970 | Double, double toil and trouble |
| Oct 28 | #969 | Comedy club |
| Oct 27 | #968 | Who ya gonna call? |
| Oct 26 | #967 | Please, be my guest! |
| Oct 25 | #966 | Something to build on |
| Oct 24 | #965 | Re-fresh-ing |
About Strands
Strands hides themed words in a six-by-eight grid where every letter gets used. One special answer, the spangram, touches two opposite edges and sums up the theme. Replaying old boards helps you read the punny clues faster.
Other puzzles on Oct 31
Strands #972 questions
What was the Strands spangram on October 31, 2026?
The spangram for Strands #972 was TRICKORTREAT, for the theme "It's in the bag".
What were the Strands theme words on October 31, 2026?
APPLE, CANDY, FANGS, RING, STICKER, TOOTHBRUSH, plus the spangram TRICKORTREAT.
What did the Strands #972 clue mean?
The clue 'It's in the bag' points to the treats handed out to kids on Halloween, like CANDY, an APPLE, a STICKER, a TOOTHBRUSH, a RING, and even plastic FANGS. All of these end up in a bag when kids go out to TRICKORTREAT.
How long was the Strands #972 spangram?
TRICKORTREAT has 12 letters, and the 6 theme words started with A, C, F, R, S, T.