Strands #986 Hints & Answers Today, November 14, 2026

Strands #986 is the Saturday puzzle for Nov. 14, 2026, and The New York Times (NYT) gives the clue “Preschool fun.” This one is a playground game: a line of children copies whoever is out front. Christina Iverson constructed it, edited by Tracy Bennett. The spangram is unusually long today; what it still has to connect is explained on our Strands page. Hints come first, and every answer waits at the foot of the page.

Spangram hints

• Hint 1

  a lineup game where every child copies the first one’s moves.
• Hint 2

  three words; the last names the child at the front everyone imitates.
• Hint 3

  fifteen letters across three words, the longest answer today, starting with F.
• Reveal the spangram

  Followtheleader
• Letter by letter: the spangram, one more letter per tap.
  Show the first letter

  f______________ (1 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 2

  fo_____________ (2 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 3

  fol____________ (3 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 4

  foll___________ (4 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 5

  follo__________ (5 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 6

  follow_________ (6 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 7

  followt________ (7 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 8

  followth_______ (8 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 9

  followthe______ (9 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 10

  followthel_____ (10 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 11

  followthele____ (11 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 12

  followthelea___ (12 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 13

  followthelead__ (13 of 15 letters)

  Show letter 14

  followtheleade_ (14 of 15 letters)

  Show the last letter

  followtheleader (15 of 15 letters)

Theme word hints

Each answer is a way to move, listed shortest to longest (two answers tie at four letters, starting with S):

• 4 letters, starts with J

  to push off the ground with both feet and land again.

  Show the word

  Jump
• 4 letters, starts with S

  to move with light hopping steps on alternating feet.

  Show the word

  Skip
• 4 letters, starts with S

  to turn round and round in place.

  Show the word

  Spin
• 4 letters, starts with W

  to go on foot at an ordinary pace.

  Show the word

  Walk
• 5 letters, starts with M

  to step in strict rhythm, as a band does in a parade.

  Show the word

  March
• 6 letters, starts with G

  to run in bounds, the way a horse does at speed.

  Show the word

  Gallop
• 6 letters, starts with T

  to move quietly on the balls of your feet.

  Show the word

  Tiptoe

A long, weaving spangram over seven short words

At fifteen letters the spangram is the longest answer of the week, and it earns that length by weaving. It opens in the fifth row on the left edge and bends eleven times, stepping up into the third row, drifting right in short two-tile hops, then dropping into the bottom-right corner. It touches the left, bottom and right edges and holds no straight line longer than three tiles.

Around that weave sit seven short action words, four of them only four letters. The six-letter G word fills the entire top-right quarter, and the six-letter T word claims the top-left. The two four-letter S words sit at opposite ends, one up top and one in the lower-left corner. The five-letter M word and the four-letter W word share the lower-middle, with the four-letter J word near the bottom. The lower-left quarter is the thickest patch, ten of its twelve tiles themed.

Solving tips

Show the solving tips

Four of the seven answers are just four letters, so the board is thick with short words; clear those and the spangram’s weave shows through. Trace the long answer last, since its many bends are easiest to follow once the short words are gone.

Keeping a Saturday streak? Jot it on the printable weekly calendar or the November 2026 printable calendar.

Saturday’s other puzzles: Wordle, Connections and Pips.

Today’s Strands answers (spoilers)

Answers follow, so stop here to finish on your own.

• Spangram: Follow the Leader
• Theme words: Gallop, Jump, March, Skip, Spin, Tiptoe, Walk

The seven theme words are moves a line of children might copy, and the spangram, Follow the Leader, is the game itself.

Yesterday's Strands answer

Strands on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 had the theme clue "Not a good sign". The spangram was Rottenluck, and the theme words were Broken, Floor, Mirror, Salt, Spilled, Thirteenth. Yesterday's hints and full solution.