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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Find an opening”, September 22, 2025

Stuck on the September 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Find an opening” puzzle (Strands #262 of 509 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the September 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the September 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Find an opening”. Every theme word and the spangram connects back to this phrase, so think about what related words might fit a 6×8 grid of 48 letters before you start scanning.

Hint 2: Spangram length and first letterReveal

The spangram for the “Find an opening” puzzle is 10 letters long and starts with the letter M. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the September 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 6 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the September 22, 2025 NYT Strands “Find an opening” puzzle is MINDTHEGAP. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 6 theme words for the September 22, 2025 NYT Strands “Find an opening” puzzle:

  • ALCOVE
  • CRANNY
  • CREVICE
  • NICHE
  • NOOK
  • PIGEONHOLE

Plus the spangram MINDTHEGAP, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.

Answers for the September 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Find an opening" NYT Strands puzzle

This Strands puzzle leads with "Find an opening" — a direct, action-oriented theme that narrows down what you're looking for. Imperative themes are helpful because they frame the puzzle around a concrete idea rather than an abstract play on words. Expect the movies & tv theme words to relate closely to the literal meaning of the phrase, with the spangram tying them together.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. The 10-letter spangram is notably long, consuming a good chunk of the grid's 48 letters. Its size makes it easier to find if you focus on the grid's edges. Originally published on a Monday, As puzzle #262 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#262
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
10
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Find an opening"

  • The theme reads as a direct instruction. Take it literally as your starting strategy — what words would you associate with following this command?
  • The long 10-letter spangram is your best starting point. Scan the edges of the grid — the spangram must start on one side and end on the opposite side.
  • Every single letter in the grid belongs to exactly one word. If you've found most theme words, the remaining letters must spell out what's left — use process of elimination.
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Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive of past Strands puzzles. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. NYT Strands is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Today's daily puzzle is free at nytimes.com/games/strands.