Strands #986 hints
The official theme was "Preschool fun". The hints below go from a plain-words reading of it to the spangram itself.
Hints revealed: 0
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What's the theme in plain words?Gentle hint
What ways of moving your body might kids copy from one another on the playground or in a gym class?
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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
This classic kids' game has everyone copying whoever is in front, and the spangram names it, so think of the three-part phrase for that game.
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How do the theme words start?Helpful hint
The theme words start with: G, J, M, S, S, T, W.
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How long is the spangram, and which way does it run?Strong hint: spangram length
The spangram has 15 letters and runs from left to right.
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Play Strands #986
This is the exact grid from the NYT game. Drag through neighbouring letters (diagonals count) to form words. Stuck? The Hint button outlines one word for you.
Strands #986 in numbers
- Theme words
- 7
- Recent average
- 5.8
- Longest theme word
- 6 letters
- Rare letters on this board: J, K, W. 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 #986 answers
Careful: the answers for November 14, 2026 are below.
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, reveals the word)
JUMP. It starts in row 8, column 2, counting from the top left.
Theme word 2 (4 letters, reveals the word)
SKIP. It starts in row 7, column 2, counting from the top left.
Theme word 3 (4 letters, reveals the word)
SPIN. It starts in row 2, column 3, counting from the top left.
Theme word 4 (4 letters, reveals the word)
WALK. It starts in row 6, column 2, counting from the top left.
Theme word 5 (5 letters, reveals the word)
MARCH. It starts in row 5, column 3, counting from the top left.
Theme word 6 (6 letters, reveals the word)
GALLOP. It starts in row 3, column 6, counting from the top left.
Theme word 7 (6 letters, reveals the word)
TIPTOE. It starts in row 3, column 2, counting from the top left.
The spangram (15 letters, reveals it)
FOLLOWTHELEADER. It starts in row 5, column 1, counting from the top left.
Everything at once
Show every theme word and the solved board (full spoiler)
Spangram: FOLLOWTHELEADER
Theme words: GALLOP, JUMP, MARCH, SKIP, SPIN, TIPTOE, WALK
Preschool fun includes a classic game where kids copy each other's moves, and the spangram FOLLOWTHELEADER names it. The theme words GALLOP, JUMP, MARCH, SKIP, SPIN, TIPTOE and WALK are all moves the leader might ask everyone to copy.
Puzzle note
The puzzle turned when you spotted that every theme word was a move, from GALLOP to WALK. That pointed straight at FOLLOWTHELEADER. On a similar puzzle, picture the activity in the clue and list the actions kids would do, then look for those verbs first.
On the board, the spangram FOLLOWTHELEADER stretches between the left and right edges and uses a corner letter.
Recent Strands puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 13 | #985 | Not a good sign |
| Nov 12 | #984 | Facing the music |
| Nov 11 | #983 | Work it out |
| Nov 10 | #982 | Influentially online |
| Nov 9 | #981 | Idle chatter |
| Nov 8 | #980 | Disciplined combat |
| Nov 7 | #979 | In the blink of an eye |
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 Nov 14
Strands #986 questions
What was the Strands theme on November 14, 2026?
The official clue for Strands #986 was "Preschool fun", with 7 theme words plus a spangram.
What was the Strands spangram on November 14, 2026?
The spangram for Strands #986 was FOLLOWTHELEADER, for the theme "Preschool fun".
What were the Strands theme words on November 14, 2026?
GALLOP, JUMP, MARCH, SKIP, SPIN, TIPTOE, WALK, plus the spangram FOLLOWTHELEADER.
What did the Strands #986 clue mean?
Preschool fun includes a classic game where kids copy each other's moves, and the spangram FOLLOWTHELEADER names it. The theme words GALLOP, JUMP, MARCH, SKIP, SPIN, TIPTOE and WALK are all moves the leader might ask everyone to copy.
How long was the Strands #986 spangram?
FOLLOWTHELEADER has 15 letters, and the 7 theme words started with G, J, M, S, S, T, W.