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NYT Strands #978 for November 6, 2026 follows the theme “Autumn walk in the woods.”
Today's puzzle features seven theme words connected to natural objects commonly found on a forest floor.
The spangram is FORESTFLOOR, an 11-letter phrase describing the ground beneath trees in a wooded area.
A new NYT Strands puzzle is here for Friday, November 6, 2026. Today's puzzle follows the theme “Autumn walk in the woods” and asks players to find things commonly seen on the forest floor. If you're finding it difficult to spot the hidden words, these hints will help you complete puzzle #978.
The official theme for November 6 is “Autumn walk in the woods.”
Today's puzzle is about things that are usually found on the forest floor during autumn. Players need to look for natural objects connected to trees, fallen leaves and wooded areas.
Think about familiar things such as acorns, moss, twigs and pinecones. These common objects can help players recognize the hidden words and understand the theme of today's puzzle.
Strands NYT is a word search puzzle game where the players have to spot the words related to the common theme each day. Letters may link in horizontal, vertical or diagonal directions and words may alter direction within the grid.
Spangram is the central concept of the game. It spans between two opposite ends of the grid and becomes highlighted in yellow upon spotting.
There are also the non-theme words to be spotted by the player for obtaining hints. Each three non-theme words will give a hint on the letter from the theme word.
Today's main theme hint is:
“Autumn walk in the woods”
A more direct clue is:
“Look for natural objects scattered beneath trees during autumn.”
Today's answers are related to things found in forests. These include fallen leaves, parts of trees and other natural objects that collect on the ground.
Looking for the longest answer?
Today's spangram contains 11 letters.
It starts with the letter F.
It ends with the letter R.
It consists of two words.
It begins near the top-left section of the grid and reaches the opposite edge.
The phrase describes the ground beneath trees in a wooded area.
The November 6, 2026 spangram is:
FORESTFLOOR
The phrase refers to the ground covering inside a forest. This area contains fallen leaves, small branches, moss and other natural materials that collect beneath trees.
The complete answer list for puzzle #978 includes:
HUSK
MOSS
TWIG
BRANCH
ACORN
PINECONE
LEAVES
Spangram: FORESTFLOOR
All the seven words have something to do with objects that you would find in a forest.
This time, you are not required to find words that have something to do with a particular type of tree. Instead, you need to find natural objects in the forest. Some of the answers might become difficult to see if you think about large objects only.
Players can also search for extra words that are not part of the main theme to unlock additional hints. Some valid examples include SHORE, GROSS, SLAVE, PENCE, VALE, CHART, FLAT and FATAL. Finding three valid non-theme words will unlock an in-game hint.
NYT Strands brings a new word puzzle every day, giving players a different theme and spangram to discover. Each challenge requires players to connect hidden words with the central idea of the puzzle.
For anyone struggling with puzzle #978, today's answers provide a complete guide to the grid. The FORESTFLOOR spangram connects all seven theme words through natural objects commonly found beneath trees.
Also Read: NYT Strands Hints and Answers for November 5, 2026 (Puzzle #977)