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The New York Times’ Strands puzzle for September 14, 2026, challenges players with a theme centered on expressions of surprise and shock. This daily word-search game puts a modern twist on the classic format by allowing words to connect through adjacent letters in multiple directions, including diagonals, while also permitting words to change direction mid-path to create unique shapes.
Today’s puzzle features vocabulary related to being startled or amazed. Players will encounter six words tied to this overarching theme: exclaim, shudder, freeze, gasp, start, and recoil. Each of these terms serves as an adjective or action verb that describes reactions to unexpected events or thrilling moments. The puzzle requires solvers to locate all these words within the grid, utilizing every single letter in the process.
In addition to the standard word list, Strands includes a “spangram”—a special phrase that encapsulates the puzzle’s central theme and stretches across the entire grid either horizontally or vertically. For today’s puzzle, the spangram runs vertically and reads “That’s shocking,” perfectly summarizing the day’s focus on astonishment and alarm.
Players who find themselves struggling with the challenge can use the provided hints to work through the puzzle at their own pace, making this brain-teasing game accessible to solvers of varying skill levels.
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Originally reported by Mashable →
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