NYT Strands hints, answers for November 20, 2025

Every hint, nudge and outright answer you need to complete today's NYT Strands puzzle.
A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're always in the know.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Busybody buzz

The words are related to stories.

Recommended deals for you

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds $219.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" 128GB Wi-Fi Retina Tablet (Blue, 2025 Release) $274.00 (List Price $349.00)

Amazon Fire HD 10 32GB Tablet (2023 Release, Black) $69.99 (List Price $139.99)

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Blink Outdoor 4 1080p Security Camera (5-Pack) $159.99 (List Price $399.99)

Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device With Remote (2023 Model) $24.99 (List Price $49.99)

Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum With XL Self-Empty Base $249.99 (List Price $599.00)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) $339.00 (List Price $399.00)

WD 6TB My Passport USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive $138.65 (List Price $179.99)

Dell 14 Premium Intel Ultra 7 512GB SSD 16GB RAM 2K Laptop $999.99 (List Price $1549.99)

Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe the word on the street.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Spread the Word.

NYT Strands word list for November 20

  • Rumor

  • Report

  • Gossip

  • Hearsay

  • Spread the Word

  • Scuttlebutt

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Topics Strands

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
NYT Strands hints, answers for November 1, 2025
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for November 2, 2025
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for November 3, 2025
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for November 4, 2025
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for November 5, 2025
A game being played on a smartphone.

More in Entertainment
Streaming just got cheaper: Score Black Friday deals on Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV, Disney+, and more
Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, and Prime Video logos with colorful background and black friday icon

The real history behind 'Hamnet'
Shakespeare seated, candlelit, anguished, in front of many scribblings, while his wife stands behind him

Cut the cord? Add Fox One to Prime for 50% off and watch NFL Sundays live
Fox One logo with pink and blue black friday background

The HBO Max Black Friday deal is live: Save 73% on a year of streaming
HBO Max app logo with colorful background and black friday tag

NFL Sunday Ticket Black Friday deal: Watch every out-of-market game for the rest of the season for under $50
NFL Sunday Ticket logo on purple backdrop with Black Friday sticker in corner

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 29, 2025
Connections game on a smartphone

Streaming just got cheaper: Black Friday deals still live on Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV, Disney+, and more
Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, and Prime Video logos with colorful background and black friday icon

Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 29, 2025
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 28, 2025
Connections game on a smartphone

NYT Strands hints, answers for November 29, 2025
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!