NYT Strands
NYT Strands

NEW YORK — The New York Times' Strands puzzle on Sunday invited players onto the mat, with a theme built around structured fighting styles from around the world.

Strands No. 980, for Nov. 8, 2026, has the theme "Disciplined combat," with five theme words and one spangram to find.

Hints come first, followed by the full answers.

How Strands works

In Strands, players connect adjacent letters on a grid to find words that fit a daily theme. The spangram spans from one side of the grid to another, though not necessarily opposite sides, and it can be a phrase made of several words.

Finding three words that are not on the theme list earns a hint, which highlights letters players must rearrange to form one theme word.

Theme hints

The theme words are styles of hand-to-hand fighting practiced as structured disciplines around the world.

Spangram hints

The spangram has 11 letters, starting with M and ending with S. It is a two-word phrase that is another way to say combat sports.

For a stronger clue, the first word shares a root with "Mars," the Roman god of war.

Position may also help. TechRadar placed the spangram's start on the left side in the fifth row and its end on the right side in the eighth row.

Today's Strands answers

Spoiler warning: the full solutions follow.

The theme words are JUDO, KARATE, KICKBOXING, NINJUTSU and TAEKWONDO, and the spangram is MARTIALARTS.

The spangram, MARTIAL ARTS, names the broad category of codified combat systems that train both body and mind, and each theme word is a specific martial art.

Strategy tips

Rare letters can open the board quickly. JUDO, KARATE, KICKBOXING and TAEKWONDO contain J, K, X and W, which stand out on a grid and offer a quick way in.

Long answers also help. KICKBOXING and TAEKWONDO use many letters at once, which cuts down the remaining combinations and makes the spangram easier to trace.

NINJUTSU may be the toughest find, since it is less familiar than judo or karate. Once the other words are in place, the leftover letters should reveal it.

Yesterday's answers

Saturday's spangram was WHATSTHEHURRY.

A new Strands puzzle appears at midnight in each player's time zone. Strands No. 981 arrives Monday.