NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “That can't be right”, October 9, 2026

Stuck on the October 9, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “That can't be right” puzzle (Strands #641 of 641 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the October 9, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.

Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the October 9, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “That can't be right”. 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 “That can't be right” puzzle is 12 letters long and starts with the letter U. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the October 9, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle has 5 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the October 9, 2026 NYT Strands “That can't be right” puzzle is UNBELIEVABLE. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 5 theme words for the October 9, 2026 NYT Strands “That can't be right” puzzle:

BALDERDASH
DRIVEL
HOOEY
NONSENSE
RUBBISH

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

Answers for the October 9, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "That can't be right" NYT Strands puzzle

"That can't be right" — a theme that invites you to explore a specific concept through the lens of this Strands puzzle. The phrase describes a mood, setting, or idea, and every theme word hidden in the 6×8 grid belongs to that same world. This food & drink puzzle uses its descriptive title to guide your intuition. Start by brainstorming words that come to mind when you read the theme, then look for them on the board.

This puzzle has 5 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. The 12-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 Friday, Puzzle #641 is a more recent addition to the 641+ puzzle archive.

#641

Puzzle Number

Theme Words

Spangram Letters

Medium

Difficulty

How to approach "That can't be right"

The theme paints a picture. Brainstorm 5-10 words that come to mind when you read it, then scan the grid for those words or close variants.
The long 12-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.
Theme words can bend and curve in any direction, including diagonals. They don't follow straight lines like a traditional word search — trace paths that zigzag across the grid.