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NYT Strands is one of the unique word puzzles that challenge players to find new words from the randomly arranged letters.
The task is to form correct words that match the theme of the puzzle. Like today’s theme is ‘It's in the mail’
Players need to find six non-spangram words and a spangram word from the grid to solve the puzzle.
The Strands puzzle presented by the New York Times for October 20, 2025, offers its players the satisfaction of deciphering a cleverly themed word grid. The theme, “It’s in the mail,” could tacitly imply words related to mail or emails, as can be commonly assumed; however, a deeper examination reveals that indeed all the answers are related to paychecks.
From the most mundane details like amounts and addresses to routing numbers and signatures, the puzzle artfully integrates these elements. Even though NYT experts suggest today’s puzzle is an easy one, you may find that the challenge will vary depending on how accustomed you are to identifying word patterns and associations.
The theme of NYT Strands on October 20, 2025, is ‘It's in the mail.’ The theme apparently gives a vibe that the words are associated with a mailbox or emails. However, the fact is that today’s words are related to your paycheck. The described ones can be seen on everyone’s paycheck.
Though NYT experts have opined that today’s puzzle’s difficulty is easy, it may vary from player to player. Therefore, it may take some time for some gamers to figure out the theme.
Also Read: NYT Connections Hints and Answers for October 19, 2025
To make the process a bit easier, here are the additional clues:
Hint 1: The first word starts with ME and is a four-letter word.
Hint 2: The second word starts with AM and is a six-letter word
Hint 3: The third word starts with AD and is a seven-letter word
Hint 4: The fourth word starts with NU and is a six-letter word
Hint 5: The fifth word starts with RO and is a seven-letter word
Hint 6: The sixth word starts with SI and is a nine-letter word.
NYT Strands Answer of October 20, 2025, for non-spangram words include:
MEMO
AMOUNT
ADDRESS
NUMBER
ROUTING
SIGNATURE
All these words are related to speaking in a low tone or not speaking at all. Based on these, let’s discover the spangram of today’s NYT Strands:
Now, it's time to know today’s spangram. For the NYT Strands of October 20, 2025, the spangram is
This phrase stretches across two sides of the grid. It starts from the right side and then goes toward the lower row. It’s located in the middle of the puzzle. Like every day, the snapgram defines the theme of the puzzle and justifies all the words. To know the locations of the words and the spangram, check out the image below:
NYT Strands is one of the most captivating word puzzle games by The New York Times, blending elements from renowned puzzle games like Spelling Bee, Connections, and traditional crosswords. If one is struggling with this puzzle, here are some tips to make the process smoother:
Players must focus on word patterns and associations.
Start finding words from the corner. The spangram is rarely at the corner of the grid, so that non-spangram words can be there.
Don’t step back to get a hint. For every non-theme word, one guess will earn them a hint.
The spangram is generally stretched vertically across the board to look for it accordingly.
NYT Strands still has a fun mix of logic, vocabulary, and pattern recognition, and today’s puzzle gives a pleasant twist by referencing paycheck-related words. With hints, non-spangram answers, and the main spangram ‘CHECK LIST’ to assist players, the puzzle is a good blend of both challenge and discovery.
NYT Strands never repeats the theme, and all the themes test the knowledge and vocabulary of gamers in different sectors of daily life and work. Today’s one tested the gamer's vocabulary of subjects that every paycheck has.
Also Read: Today's Wordle Hints and Answer for October 19 (Puzzle #1583)
