NYT Strands #986: Preschool Theme and 'Follow the Leader' Spangram

Key points

• The theme for Strands #986 is 'Preschool fun,' focusing on children's games and movement.
• The spangram, which spans the grid horizontally, is 'Follow the Leader.'
• The seven theme words are Jump, Skip, Spin, Walk, March, Gallop, and Tiptoe.
• The puzzle is rated moderate difficulty by paid testers.
• The New York Times publishes two Strands Sidekicks daily to accommodate global time zones.

Background

Strands is a daily word search game launched by The New York Times in 2024, developed by Juliette Seive to replicate the success of Wordle. Tracy Bennett serves as the puzzle editor. Previous puzzles have featured themes such as paranormal, 1980s arcade, and superstition. The game requires finding words in a 6x8 grid, with a spangram summarizing the theme.

How outlets are covering it

The New York Times provides general hints and rates the puzzle moderate. Mashable and CNET provide full answers and confirm the 'Preschool fun' theme and 'Follow the Leader' spangram. CNET notes that the number of theme words can vary, while Insider Gaming covers the previous day's puzzle (#984) with a concert theme. All sources agree on the core answers for #986.

Why it matters

Strands is a popular daily puzzle that engages millions of users. Hints and answers help players who are stuck, while the moderate difficulty rating indicates a balanced challenge for the average solver.

What to watch

The next Strands puzzle, #987, will be released at midnight in the user's time zone on November 15, 2026. Players can check the NYT Games website or app for the new grid.