Strands Today: Hints, Spangram & Answers for #1138 — October 6
The hints below were assembled automatically from the puzzle data rather than written by an editor — accurate, just plainer than usual.
A grid of letters, one theme clue, no word list. The hints run softest first, and nothing above the answers section names a word from the grid.
The official theme clue
Changing course
Printed above the board in the app, so reading it spoils nothing — and the theme decides which words in the grid count.
Strands hints, one rung at a time
Six rungs, softest first. This page remembers which ones you opened while this puzzle is current.
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Hint 1: What the theme is getting at
A reading of the theme. No answers.
Auto-generated hint: no written reading of the theme was available, so here is what the puzzle itself tells you. There are 5 theme entries hidden in the 8 by 6 grid, plus the long entry that ties them together. Their lengths are 9, 4, 8, 7 and 4. Read the official clue printed above the grid and use these counts to narrow down what fits.
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Hint 2: The category, said plainly
Auto-generated hint: 5 entries share one topic, and the official clue printed above the puzzle is the fastest way into it.
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Hint 3: Board facts: how many words, how long
A 6 by 8 grid hiding 5 theme answers plus the spangram.
- Word 1
- 9 letters
- Word 2
- 4 letters
- Word 3
- 8 letters
- Word 4
- 7 letters
- Word 5
- 4 letters
- Spangram
- 16 letters, top to bottom
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Hint 4: One clue per word, easiest first
Open as many as you need.
Word 1 (9 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 9 characters long and begins with the pair BA.
Word 2 (4 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 4 characters long and begins with the pair FL.
Word 3 (8 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 8 characters long and begins with the pair OV.
Word 4 (7 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 7 characters long and begins with the pair RE.
Word 5 (4 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 4 characters long and begins with the pair UN.
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Hint 5: First two letters of every theme word
- Word 1
- BA… (9 letters)
- Word 2
- FL… (4 letters)
- Word 3
- OV… (8 letters)
- Word 4
- RE… (7 letters)
- Word 5
- UN… (4 letters)
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Hint 6: What the spangram means
The long one that ties the board together.
Auto-generated hint: the long entry is 16 characters and runs from the top of the grid all the way down to the bottom, touching both edges. Trace a single unbroken chain across the whole thing and the rest becomes much easier to see.
Today's letter board
The grid as printed, 6 across and 8 down. Read only — reveal an answer below and this board traces it.
Today's Strands answers and the spangram
Spoilers below. Opening an answer traces it on the board above; the spangram is gold.
Word 1 · 9 letters
BACKPEDAL
BACKPEDAL — 9 letters, one of the 5 theme answers.
Word 2 · 4 letters
FLIP
FLIP — 4 letters, one of the 5 theme answers.
Word 3 · 8 letters
OVERTURN
OVERTURN — 8 letters, one of the 5 theme answers.
Word 4 · 7 letters
REVERSE
REVERSE — 7 letters, one of the 5 theme answers.
Word 5 · 4 letters
UNDO
UNDO — 4 letters, one of the 5 theme answers.
Spangram · 16 letters, top to bottom
THEOLDSWITCHEROO
THEOLDSWITCHEROO — the spangram, 16 letters, spanning the board vertically.
This board by the numbers
Constructed by Christina Iverson, edited by Tracy Bennett.
- Puzzle
- #1138 · Tuesday, October 6, 2026
- Theme answers
- 5 plus the spangram
- Board
- 6 × 8 letters
- Answer lengths
- 4–9 letters
- Spangram
- 16 letters, top to bottom
- Difficulty
- medium for a weekday board
- Valid non-theme words
- 874 accepted for hints
The last board we archived
The newest archived page is Strands answers for #1136, Monday, October 5, 2026, created once its date stopped being current everywhere on Earth.
More puzzles today
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Today's NYT Connections hints and answers
Sixteen tiles, four groups. Nudges first, full groupings last.
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Today's NYT Pips hints and answers
Easy, medium and hard boards, rules first and walkthroughs last.
How Strands works, in short
Every board hides theme answers plus one spangram — a longer entry touching two opposite edges that names the idea the others belong to. Trace through touching letters in any direction; each letter belongs to exactly one answer. Our full Strands guide covers the rest.
NYT Strands questions we get asked
When does a new NYT Strands puzzle appear?
At midnight in your own time zone, like the NYT app. This page reads that zone off your request.
What is the Strands theme for October 6?
The official clue is "Changing course". The spangram names the idea; the 5 shorter answers are examples of it.
How many words are in a Strands puzzle?
Theme answers plus one spangram. Today: 5 answers and a 16-letter spangram. The board also accepts 874 other valid words; every three buys a hint.
What is the Strands spangram today #1138?
THEOLDSWITCHEROO. It runs top to bottom and touches both edges — that is what makes it a spangram.
What are all the Strands answers for October 6?
BACKPEDAL, FLIP, OVERTURN, REVERSE, UNDO, plus the spangram THEOLDSWITCHEROO.
Is TodayHint affiliated with The New York Times?
No — TodayHint is independent. Strands, Connections, Pips and NYT are trademarks of The New York Times Company.