NYT Strands Answer Today (#962) – 21 Oct 2026 Solution & Hints
- About Today’s Strands
- Today’s Theme
- General Hints
- Spangram Length
- Spangram Orientation
- Spangram First & Last Letters
- First & Last Letters of All Words
- Spangram (Click to Reveal)
- Spangram Definition (Click to Reveal)
- Sample Words (Click to Reveal)
- Full Solution (Click to Reveal)
- Definitions of All Words (Click to Reveal)
About Today’s Strands
Puzzle #962 (published 21 Oct 2026). One special word — the Spangram — spans the grid and ties the theme together.
Today’s Theme
Theme: On a Higher Level
General Hints
- Think about the one room in a house where things go to be forgotten until the next big clean-out.
- Many of the words here describe things you’d only dig out once a year, or once in a long while.
- The spangram describes the location that ties every other word in this puzzle together.
Spangram Length
The Spangram has 10 letters and is one word.
Spangram Orientation
The Spangram runs horizontally, stretching across the middle of the board from the left side to the right side.
Spangram First & Last Letters
Begins with I and ends with C.
Pattern preview (length-obscured): I___C
Note: We always display first/last letters as X___Y with three underscores, regardless of true length.
First & Last Letters of All Words
- Word 1: B___S
- Word 2: L___E
- Word 3: T___S
- Word 4: Y___S
- Word 5: D___S
Spangram preview: I___C
Spangram
Click to reveal today’s Spangram
INTHEATTIC
Spangram Definition
Click to reveal the definition of the Spangram
INTHEATTIC — A phrase describing the storage space tucked under a house’s roofline, where seldom-used belongings get tucked away.
Example: “After the move, most of our old furniture ended up in the attic.”
Sample Words
Click to reveal two words from today’s solution
- BOXES
- LUGGAGE
Full Solution
Click to reveal the complete answers
Theme: On a Higher Level
Spangram: INTHEATTIC
All words:
- BOXES
- LUGGAGE
- TRUNKS
- YEARBOOKS
- DECORATIONS
- INTHEATTIC (Spangram)
Definitions of All Words
Click to reveal definitions of today’s words
- BOXES — Rigid containers, often cardboard, used to pack and stack items for storage or moving.
- LUGGAGE — Bags and cases designed to hold belongings while traveling.
- TRUNKS — Large, sturdy storage chests, often with hinged lids, traditionally used for long-term keeping or travel.
- YEARBOOKS — Bound annual publications, usually from a school, filled with photos and signatures from a given year.
- DECORATIONS — Ornamental items brought out for a particular season or celebration, then put away afterward.
- INTHEATTIC — A phrase describing the storage space tucked under a house’s roofline, where seldom-used belongings get tucked away.
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