NYT Strands #950 for October 9, 2026, follows the theme “That Can't Be Right,” focusing on words associated with nonsense and unbelievable claims.
Today's spangram is UNBELIEVABLE, connecting the puzzle's theme across the letter grid.
The five theme words are BALDERDASH, DRIVEL, HOOEY, NONSENSE, and RUBBISH.
Friday's NYT Strands puzzle brings a theme centred on statements that seem absurd, misleading, or impossible to accept as true. Players must uncover five related words and a spangram that captures the central idea. The hints below offer a way to approach puzzle #950 before revealing the complete solutions.
The official theme for October 9 is “That Can't Be Right.”
The phrase suggests something that sounds incorrect, absurd, or difficult to believe. Today's answers include different ways of describing foolish talk, empty statements, and claims that people dismiss as nonsense.
Players can use this theme as a starting point when searching for words hidden throughout the grid. Recognising the connection between the answers can make the longer and less familiar words easier to identify.
NYT Strands is a daily word-search game from The New York Times. Players search a grid of letters to find words connected to a central theme. Words can travel horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, with paths that may change direction along the way.
The spangram is a special word or phrase that captures the puzzle's overall theme and touches two opposite sides of the grid. It is highlighted in yellow when discovered, while the regular theme words are highlighted in blue.
Players can also find valid non-theme words to earn in-game hints. Every three qualifying words unlock a hint that helps reveal letters belonging to a theme answer.
Today's main theme hint is:
“That Can't Be Right.”
Think about words people use when they hear an unbelievable story, question a questionable claim, or dismiss something as foolish talk.
The answers are not limited to one specific type of statement. Instead, they share a broader connection to nonsense, absurdity, and speech that lacks credibility.
Still searching for the longest answer?
Today's spangram contains 12 letters and follows a mostly vertical path through the grid, connecting the bottom and top edges. It describes something that is extremely difficult to accept as true.
Try identifying the word from the theme before moving on to the full solution.
Warning: The answer below reveals today's spangram.
The October 9, 2026, spangram is:
UNBELIEVABLE
The word describes something so surprising, implausible, or extraordinary that it is difficult to believe. It directly reflects the puzzle's theme and connects the other answers, which describe foolish, absurd, or untrustworthy statements.
Spoiler alert: The complete solution for puzzle #950 appears below.
The five theme words and the spangram for today's puzzle are:
BALDERDASH
DRIVEL
HOOEY
NONSENSE
RUBBISH
UNBELIEVABLE - Spangram
Each word connects to the idea of something being ridiculous, untrue, or not worth taking seriously. BALDERDASH and HOOEY are informal ways to describe nonsense, while DRIVEL refers to foolish or meaningless talk. NONSENSE is a direct match for the theme, and RUBBISH can describe claims considered absurd or untrue.
The October 9 puzzle may be challenging because several answers have similar meanings, even though they differ in length and familiarity.
Words such as HOOEY and BALDERDASH are less common in everyday conversation than NONSENSE. Players may need to look beyond familiar vocabulary and consider alternative expressions used to dismiss implausible claims.
The spangram provides another useful clue. Recognizing UNBELIEVABLE can help players understand the shared meaning of the remaining words and narrow their search through the grid.
NYT Strands continues to offer a fresh word-search challenge every day, combining a central theme with hidden vocabulary and a connecting spangram. Today's “That Can't Be Right” puzzle focuses on expressions used to describe absurd statements and unbelievable claims.
For players who were stuck on Strands #950, the complete answer list provides a way to check their progress and understand how the words fit together. The next daily puzzle will introduce a new theme and another set of hidden answers.
Also Read: NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, Answers for October 8, 2026