The NYT Strands answers today, November 13, 2026, for puzzle #985 have the theme “Not a good sign.” The spangram is ROTTENLUCK, and the six theme words are FLOOR, SALT, MIRROR, BROKEN, SPILLED, and THIRTEENTH.
Strands #985 spangram
ROTTENLUCK
Theme words
FLOOR
SALT
MIRROR
BROKEN
SPILLED
THIRTEENTH
Strands hints for November 13
- The theme is “Not a good sign.”
- The words involve superstitions and bad fortune.
- The spangram has 10 letters.
- It begins at the left side in the fourth row and ends at the right side in the eighth row.
- Think of a black cat crossing your path, then look for everyday objects tied to bad luck.
How the board fits together
The theme words are common superstition triggers. Spilled SALT, a BROKEN MIRROR, and a missing THIRTEENTH FLOOR each have their own bad-luck reputation, while FLOOR links the building superstition to the rest of the board.
ROTTENLUCK is the spangram, so it spans the board from one side to the other. Finding it can clarify the remaining words, because the other answers sit around its path and form pairs that the spangram divides.
THIRTEENTH is the longest theme word. Once you have THIRTEENTH, FLOOR is the shorter companion to look for nearby. SALT and SPILLED also pair naturally, while BROKEN and MIRROR complete the final obvious superstition.
If you are stuck, use any valid words of four letters or more to unlock the in-game hint system. The date also fits the puzzle: November 13, 2026, falls on a Friday.
The official Strands Sidekick for #985 confirms the puzzle number and November 13 date.
Explore our Word Games coverage for more daily puzzle answers and hints.
