Strands · Hints and answers
Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Tuesday's Strands board is a playground classic played in a circle: six theme words about the game itself, plus the spangram that names it. The NYT clue is pure emoji - two ducks, then a goose - which gives the game away if you read it right.
Hints, in order
Hint 0 of 3Tap to show one hint at a time.
Hint 1 of 3
The emoji clue decodes to a children's game played sitting in a circle, with one player walking around the outside tapping heads.
Hint 2 of 3
The theme words cover the game's parts: where it is played, the shape the players sit in, what happens once someone is picked, and the pursuit that follows.
Hint 3 of 3
The spangram is the game's name in three pushed-together words: a water bird, the same water bird again, then a bigger water bird.
Spangram and theme words
The spangram first, then all six theme words.
SPANGRAM
DUCKDUCKGOOSE
CHASETheme word
CIRCLETheme word
GAMETheme word
PLAYGROUNDTheme word
SELECTTheme word
WALKTheme word
Next on the board
NYT Mini Crossword →
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