NYT Strands Hints and Answers: September 25, 2026 (Puzzle #936)

The New York Times Strands puzzle #936 brings a board that might have you counting and connecting letters in new ways. If you want to protect your perfect streak without using up the in-game hints, we have you covered.

Below, you’ll 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

Finding the Spangram first can be tricky since it has 12 letters. Picking out shorter theme words first can clear space and help you earn hints to reveal the rest. Try REUS, SIXTY, and ROVE in the first row vertically to earn hints for the first theme word. All five theme words are about numbers, so it takes careful looking to find every theme word and the Spangram as well.

Here is my result for today’s puzzle:

Strands #936
“1✖️1, etc … ”
💡🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵

Today’s Strands Hints

To get you started without spoiling the specific words, use these structural clues to navigate the board:

• Today’s Official Theme Clue: “Multiply a number by itself”
• Spangram Hint: It describes a value that is the product of an integer multiplied by that same integer.
• Spangram Start/End Letters: Starts with S and ends with R, and there are 12 letters in total.

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: The Spangram answer and full list of theme words are shown below. Don’t scroll down if you still want to solve it yourself and follow the hints and clue above.

Today’s Strands Answers

Here are all the theme words found on the board:

• FOUR
• NINE
• TWENTYFIVE
• THIRTYSIX
• EIGHTYONE

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 & answers for puzzle #935.

• Spangram: BACKYARD
• Theme Words: FORT, POOL, SWINGS, SANDBOX, TREEHOUSE, TRAMPOLINE

For older solutions, see our Strands answers archive.

How did you do?

Did you spot the pattern early or did you find the Spangram only after listing all the numbers? 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.