Strands · Hints and answers
Strands hints and answers for Saturday, September 26, 2026
Saturday's Strands board has seven theme words plus a 10-letter spangram, under the NYT clue "A breath of fresh air". The ladder below climbs from the theme to the spangram - take one hint at a time.
Hints, in order
Hint 0 of 3Tap to show one hint at a time.
Hint 1 of 3
The NYT clue is "A breath of fresh air" - take it literally before you take it sideways. The spangram runs 10 letters and touches opposite sides of the board.
Hint 2 of 3
The seven theme words run 4 to 7 letters (lengths: 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7). Every one of them belongs to the family the clue points at.
Hint 3 of 3
The spangram starts with G and ends with D. It is GENTLEWIND - find it and the rest of the board falls into place.
Spangram and theme words
The spangram first, then all seven theme words.
SPANGRAM
GENTLEWIND
BREEZETheme word
CURRENTTheme word
FLURRYTheme word
GUSTTheme word
PUFFTheme word
WHIFFTheme word
ZEPHYRTheme word
Next on the board
NYT Mini Crossword →
A 7x7 grid. Show one answer at a time, or open the full grid.