NYT Strands puzzle #947 for Tuesday, October 6, 2026, has the theme “Changing course.” Start with the spoiler-light hints below; the spangram and complete answer list are farther down.
Hints for Strands #947
Use these clues to narrow down the theme without revealing the answers:
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- The theme concerns changing direction or reversing a decision.
- Think of words for turning something around, undoing an action, or backing away from a position.
- The spangram is a 16-letter phrase for a familiar kind of reversal.
In Strands, trace letters that touch vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, without using a cell twice. The spangram crosses the board from one side to the opposite side and captures the theme. The 2026 paper “Man, These New York Times Games Are Hard! A Computational Perspective” also describes the hint mechanic: finding three valid words that are not answers earns a hint highlighting the letters of a hidden answer.
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Strands #947 answer
Spoiler warning: The spangram and theme words are listed below.
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Spangram
THEOLDSWITCHEROO
Theme words
- FLIP
- UNDO
- REVERSED
- OVERTURN
- BACKPEDAL
TechRadar’s October 5 guide and TECHi’s October 6 guide agree on the puzzle number, theme, spangram, and the other four theme words, but report different spellings for one answer: TechRadar gives REVERSED, while TECHi gives REVERSE. The list above follows TechRadar’s spelling; the two published guides do not resolve the discrepancy. See TechRadar’s guide and TECHi’s guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Optional clue words
TechRadar lists HOOF, HOOT, STOVE, ROAR, SEAL, and SLED as words that can unlock in-game hints when found. Its contributor Johnny Dee rated this puzzle “Hard” and reported a score of one hint; those are the contributor’s observations, not an official difficulty rating.
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