Strands Hint: Solve Today's NYT Puzzle

Stuck on Today's Strands? We've Got the Hints and Answers

New York Times' Strands has taken the puzzle world by storm with its unique twist on the classic word search. Unlike traditional formats, Strands requires you to find interconnected words in a grid that form quirky patterns, with every letter belonging to an answer. Each puzzle features a theme linking all words, plus a special spangram that spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

Today's puzzle theme is ">Heard at the Board Meeting<," focusing on corporate jargon. If you're scratching your head over buzzwords like "disrupt" or "ideate," we'll guide you through the hints and solutions. Whether you're a 9-to-5 professional or just love brain teasers, this breakdown will help you conquer the challenge.

Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes longer to solve than Wordle or Connections, with themes ranging from fill-in-the-blank phrases to synonyms and homophones.

Today's Strands Theme: Business Jargon

The puzzle centers on terms commonly heard in corporate meetings. If you work in an office, you might recognize these words from your daily grind. The spangram sums up this theme perfectly.

Strands Hints for November 21, 2025

Theme Hint: Words related to work and corporate strategy.
Spangram Hint: The spangram is horizontal (runs left to right).
Opening Letters: LI, PI, DI, ID, AL, SC (first two letters of each word).

Common business terminology used in today's Strands puzzle. - Image from https://duckduckgo.com/?origin=funnel_home_website&t=h_&q=Corporate+jargon+words+on+whiteboard&ia=images&iax=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.toastmasters.org%2Fmagazine%2Fmagazine-issues%2F2021%2Fdec%2Fmedias%2Fimages%2Fpubs-and-magazine%2F2021-digital-magazine%2F12%2Fcorporate-jargon%2F26-corporate-jargon-main.png

Answers and Spangram

Find all the words below. Once you spot the spangram, the puzzle will highlight in yellow, revealing the overarching theme.

Spangram: Corporate Speak
Theme Words:

Liaise
Disrupt
Align
Corporate Speak
Ideate
Scale
Pivot

These terms exemplify the vague, often meaningless language that dominates modern workplaces. Unlike past corporate-themed puzzles featuring "blockchain" or "metaverse," today's words are timeless jargon that irritate employees across industries.

How to Solve Strands Like a Pro

Strands challenges players to think flexibly. Words can change direction in the grid, creating L-shapes, diagonals, or zigzags. Start by identifying obvious theme-related words, then scan for the spangram. If you're stuck, use the opening letters as a starting point.

Love Puzzles? Try Connections Too

If you enjoy Strands, check out the NYT's Connections game. Like Strands, it tests your vocabulary and pattern recognition. For today's Connections hints and answers, visit Mashable's dedicated guide.

A player working through the daily word search challenge. - Image from https://duckduckgo.com/?origin=funnel_home_website&t=h_&q=Person+solving+NYT+Strands+puzzle+on+laptop&ia=images&iax=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F4dDRtj9TbOM%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg

Play Strands Daily

With a new puzzle every day, Strands offers fresh challenges. Remember, themes can vary widely—from silly pop culture references to complex linguistic quirks. Editor Tracy Bennett ensures difficulty fluctuates, so expect occasional curveballs!

Ready to tackle tomorrow's puzzle? Bookmark this page for daily hints, and explore more games like Mahjong or Sudoku on Mashable's games hub.