The New York Times Strands puzzle #985 brings a superstition‑themed challenge to the board. With words linked to common bad‑luck beliefs, today’s puzzle invites players to explore phrases and symbols people associate with misfortune. If you want to protect your perfect streak without using the in‑game hints, we have you covered.
Below, you will find today’s theme clue, targeted hints for the Spangram, and the complete solution at the bottom of the page.
Today’s Strands Strategy and Commentary
Today’s puzzle centers around well‑known superstitions that are said to bring bad luck. Finding the Spangram first can help reveal the shared link among all theme words, though spotting shorter puzzle entries may be a simpler starting point.
All hidden words name things or situations often linked to bad luck. The Spangram ties this group together, describing the kind of unfortunate outcome these beliefs warn about. Some players may first recognize familiar terms like broken mirror or spilled salt before noticing they all belong to a set of unlucky symbols.
Today’s Strands Hints
To get you started without spoiling the specific words, use these clues to navigate the board:
- Today’s Official Theme Clue: Common symbols and signs believed to bring misfortune.
- Spangram Hint: An expression meaning bad luck or an unfortunate turn of events.
- Spangram Start/End Letters: Starts with R and ends with K, and has ten letters in total.
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: The Spangram answer and full list of theme words are shown below. Do not scroll down if you still want to solve it yourself and follow the hints and clue above.
Today’s Strands Answers
All theme words are listed below, along with the official Spangram answer.
⚠️ WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
👉 Click to Reveal the Spangram
The Spangram word today is
ROTTENLUCK
Here are all the theme words found on the board:
- SALT
- FLOOR
- BROKEN
- MIRROR
- SPILLED
- THIRTEENTH
Yesterday’s Answer
Catch up on yesterday’s solution. This record shows the Spangram and theme words from the previous game, so you can compare results or double check the past grid.
Below is yesterday’s answer for NYT Strands hints and answers for puzzle #984 (November 12, 2026):
- Spangram: AUDIENCE
- Theme Words: CONCERTGOER, LISTENER, PATRON, SPECTATOR, VIEWER
For older solutions, see our Strands answers archive.
More New York Times Games
We also provide solutions for other New York Times games, including Wordle and NYT Connections. You can visit our complete list of Wordle answers for November and check out today’s NYT Connections hints and answers.
How Did You Do?
Did you spot the bad‑luck superstitions right away, or did the Spangram take you a moment to connect them all? Share your experience in the comments below.
A new puzzle becomes available every midnight based on your local time zone. It appears at different times around the world, including United States UTC‑4 to UTC‑8, Philippine Standard Time UTC+8, Australia UTC+8 to UTC+11, and New Zealand UTC+12 or UTC+13.
Check back tomorrow for more Strands hints, strategy tips, and the next answer.
