Strands Puzzle Solution for November 12, 2025: Cracking the “How Puzzling” Theme

Today’s New York Times Strands puzzle has been solved. The November 12, 2025, challenge centered on a “How puzzling” theme.

Players needed to find words related to the components of a classic word game. The solution hinges on identifying the Spangram that ties all the theme words together.

Today’s Strands Spangram and Theme Words Revealed

The key to today’s puzzle was the Spangram CROSSWORD. This word ran vertically down the grid. It perfectly encapsulates the theme of the puzzle.

According to The New York Times, the theme words are all elements found in a crossword puzzle. This includes CLUES, ANSWERS, and the GRID itself. Other words like ACROSS and DOWN reference common crossword directions.

Completing the list are BYLINE and NUMBERS. These refer to the puzzle’s creator and the clue numbering system. Finding the Spangram first made locating these theme words significantly easier.

Why Today’s Strands Puzzle Was Deceptively Simple

Many players found today’s puzzle to be one of the easier challenges. The theme was immediately recognizable to most word game enthusiasts. This familiarity helped speed up the solving process.

The clear connection between the Spangram and the theme words provided a straightforward path to completion. There was little ambiguity in the word associations. This led to a quick and satisfying solve for many.

Today’s Strands puzzle successfully delivered a classic and accessible word game experience. The CROSSWORD theme provided a nostalgic twist that was both fun and straightforward to decipher.

Info at your fingertips

What was the theme for the November 12 Strands?

The theme was “How puzzling.” All theme words were components commonly associated with crossword puzzles. This included words like CLUES and GRID.

What was the Spangram for today’s Strands?

The Spangram was CROSSWORD. It ran vertically from the top to the bottom of the puzzle board. This word summarized the entire theme.

How difficult was today’s NYT Strands?

Today’s puzzle was rated as very easy. The familiar theme made the words simple to identify for regular players. It was a quick solve for most.

Where can I play old Strands puzzles?

You can access an archive of past puzzles through a New York Times Games subscription. This feature allows you to play previous daily challenges. It works similarly to the Wordle archive.