The New York Times’ daily word puzzle Strands released puzzle No. 977 on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, challenging players to uncover words tied to the theme “Handle with care,” CNET reported.
The puzzle’s spangram is GIVEMEABREAK, a nod to the Kit-Kat slogan, while the six non-spangram theme words are WIND, BREAD, FAITH, GROUND, DANCING and CHARACTER.
Puzzle No. 977 leans on a candy bar slogan
CNET’s hint for the Nov. 5 grid tells players to think of the Kit-Kat slogan, pointing directly to the spangram GIVEMEABREAK. To locate it, start at the G positioned three rows over and three letters down, then trace upward, across and down. When all theme words are found, every letter on the board is used.
Strands launched in 2024 as a 6×8 word search
Insider Gaming reports that Strands debuted in 2024 as a daily word search from The New York Times, built around a 6×8 letter grid where players hunt for a common theme among hidden words. Juliette Seive, a research director on The New York Times Games team, developed the original concept, and Tracy Bennett has served as puzzle editor since launch.
Game #976 on Nov. 4 focused on workplace roles
The previous day’s puzzle, Game #976 released Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, centered on the people who keep organizations running, Insider Gaming reported. Its answers included STAFF, LABOR, WORKFORCE, PEOPLE and PERSONNEL, with HUMANRESOURCES as the spangram.
Three four-letter words unlock in-game hints
Players who find any three words of four letters or more trigger one of the theme words as an in-game hint, CNET explained. Words that work include RAGE, RAGER, WAGE, WAGER, CARE, CHAR, CHAW, DRIED, HATE, THEN, DANK and GIVE. CNET notes that the total number of theme words can vary and isn’t always eight.
Here's today's Strands answers and hints. These clues will help you solve The New York Times' popular puzzle game, Strands, every day. https://t.co/hUL3Ks1aIk
The next puzzle arrives at midnight
Strands updates daily at 12 a.m. in each player’s time zone, Insider Gaming reported, meaning Game #978 will appear on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.
Common questions about Strands puzzle No. 977
What is a spangram in Strands? A spangram is a theme word that stretches from one side of the 6×8 grid to the other, and when combined with all other answers, it uses every letter on the board.
How many theme words does each Strands puzzle contain? The number can vary, CNET reported; it’s not fixed at eight.
Worth a look