NYT Strands Puzzle Guide: Hints and Full Answers for September 13, 2026

Today’s Strands Puzzle at a Glance

The New York Times Strands puzzle for September 13, 2026, sends players on a spy-themed mission. Instead of an ordinary word-search category, this puzzle asks you to find six words connected to espionage and secret operations. The spangram, UNDERCOVER, ties the whole board together.

Hints for Solving the Puzzle

If you’re stuck, keep this theme in mind: every answer describes a person involved in covert work or hidden identities. Think of spy films, intelligence agencies, and the vocabulary used when someone quietly gathers information. Some answers describe people who infiltrate organizations, while others refer to people who detect or expose spies.

Opening Letters

The first two letters of each theme word are:

AG, AS, CO, MO, OP, PL

These letter pairs are designed to point you toward espionage terms. Once you recognize the theme, the remaining answers should fall into place. If you need extra help, the game’s built-in hint system reveals part of a theme word after you find three valid non-theme words of at least four letters.

Today’s Spangram

The spangram is UNDERCOVER. It captures the puzzle’s central idea: working in secret without revealing your true identity. The spangram stretches across the grid and touches both the left and right edges.

Theme Words and Meanings

• AGENT – A person who works secretly to gather information for an organization or government.
• ASSET – A person recruited to provide inside information without formally joining an agency.
• COUNTERSPY – A person whose job is to detect and stop the work of enemy spies.
• MOLE – A person who secretly works inside an organization while reporting to an outside party.
• OPERATIVE – A trained person carrying out secret assignments on behalf of an agency.
• PLANT – A person placed inside a group to gather information without being noticed.

Final Take

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle leans into espionage with six words that all describe people operating in secret. Once you see the UNDERCOVER spangram, the rest of the grid becomes much easier to solve. Whether you’re a seasoned word sleuth or just enjoy a good puzzle, this set of answers should help you complete the board.