Strands #973 hints
The official theme was "For the rest of the day". 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
Words for resting with your eyes closed are what you want here, anything from a quick bit of shut-eye to a much longer stretch of rest.
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How many words am I looking for?Gentle hint
There are 7 theme words plus the spangram.
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A nudge toward the spangramHelpful hint
You know that letter you spot lined up again and again in comic strips whenever a character is fast asleep? That's the one to hunt for.
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How do the theme words start?Helpful hint
The theme words start with: C, D, D, S, S, S, S.
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How long is the spangram, and which way does it run?Strong hint
The spangram has 8 letters and runs from top to bottom.
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Play Strands #973
Play the real board here. Trace words by dragging or tapping, and tap the last letter twice to check. Blue means a theme word, yellow means the spangram. Nothing you do here touches your NYT stats.
Strands #973 in numbers
- Theme words
- 7
- Recent average
- 5.8
- Spangram length
- 8 letters
- Longest theme word
- 7 letters
- Rare letters on this board: W, Z. Words with them are a good place to start, since few words can use them.
- The 8 answers use all 48 letters, an average of 6.0 letters each.
Strands #973 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are the spangram and all theme words for November 1, 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)
DOZE. It starts in row 7, column 2, counting from the top left.
Theme word 2 (5 letters)
SLEEP. It starts in row 1, column 1, counting from the top left.
Theme word 3 (6 letters)
CATNAP. It starts in row 1, column 3, counting from the top left.
Theme word 4 (6 letters)
DROWSE. It starts in row 6, column 4, counting from the top left.
Theme word 5 (6 letters)
SIESTA. It starts in row 4, column 6, counting from the top left.
Theme word 6 (6 letters)
SNOOZE. It starts in row 1, column 5, counting from the top left.
Theme word 7 (7 letters)
SLUMBER. It starts in row 7, column 3, counting from the top left.
The spangram (8 letters)
ZZZZZZZZ. It starts in row 1, column 2, counting from the top left.
Everything at once
Show every theme word and the solved board
Spangram: ZZZZZZZZ
Theme words: CATNAP, DOZE, DROWSE, SIESTA, SLEEP, SLUMBER, SNOOZE
The clue 'For the rest of the day' is a pun, since 'rest' means both the remainder of the day and a chance to relax. The answers CATNAP, DOZE, DROWSE, SIESTA, SLEEP, SLUMBER and SNOOZE are all kinds of rest, and the spangram ZZZZZZZZ is the classic way to show someone sleeping.
Puzzle note
The clue's pun on rest made the theme easy to spot, and SLEEP, DOZE and SNOOZE probably fell first. The spangram was the odd one, since ZZZZZZZZ is just the sound of snoring. Try not to overthink it. When a clue sounds like wordplay, ask yourself: what other meaning could this word have?
On the board, the spangram ZZZZZZZZ stretches between the top and bottom edges.
Recent Strands puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 31 | #972 | It's in the bag |
| 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 |
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 Nov 1
Strands #973 questions
What was the Strands spangram on November 1, 2026?
The spangram for Strands #973 was ZZZZZZZZ, for the theme "For the rest of the day".
What were the Strands theme words on November 1, 2026?
CATNAP, DOZE, DROWSE, SIESTA, SLEEP, SLUMBER, SNOOZE, plus the spangram ZZZZZZZZ.
What did the Strands #973 clue mean?
The clue 'For the rest of the day' is a pun, since 'rest' means both the remainder of the day and a chance to relax. The answers CATNAP, DOZE, DROWSE, SIESTA, SLEEP, SLUMBER and SNOOZE are all kinds of rest, and the spangram ZZZZZZZZ is the classic way to show someone sleeping.
How long was the Strands #973 spangram?
ZZZZZZZZ has 8 letters, and the 7 theme words started with C, D, D, S, S, S, S.