NYT Strands #972 hints & answer today — October 31, 2026
Unofficial hints. Not affiliated with The New York Times.
Hints get stronger as you go. The answer is always the last step — nothing is revealed until you tap.
1The theme clueShow hint
The in-game clue is “It's in the bag”. Think about what the theme words might have in common before hunting for letters.
2Spangram size and directionShow hint
The spangram has 12 letters and stretches side to side. There are 6 other theme words (4, 5, 5, 5, 7, 10 letters long).
3A nudge on the themeShow hint
Things a kid might end up with after going door to door in costume on the last night of October, including both sweet snacks and odd giveaways that a household hands out.
4The spangramShow hint
The spangram is TRICKORTREAT.
5Strands #972 answersShow answer
NAERPPDCSKALTYTICERTREATICRANGOTKOFSOTGNIRHBRUSH- TRICKORTREAT (spangram)
- APPLE
- CANDY
- FANGS
- RING
- STICKER
- TOOTHBRUSH
The theme, explained
The clue is a pun: 'in the bag' means something is certain, and a trick-or-treat bag is where Halloween loot goes. The spangram TRICKORTREAT names the US Halloween custom of kids going door to door for treats, and it runs across the grid. Theme words like APPLE, CANDY, and STICKER are the kinds of items that land in those bags, while FANGS fits the costume side of the holiday. TOOTHBRUSH needs US knowledge: some dentists and households hand out toothbrushes instead of sweets, so it counts as a less welcome treat.
Spotted a wrong answer, or a hint that gives too much away? Email us at hello@hints.day
How to play Strands
Strands hides a set of theme words in a grid of letters. Words are traced through adjacent letters in any direction, including diagonally, and every letter on the board is used exactly once. One special word — the spangram — describes the theme and touches two opposite sides of the board.
Finding three non-theme words of four letters or more earns a hint that highlights the letters of a theme word.