Today’s NYT Strands puzzle (#934) has the theme “Practically paleolithic.”
The Strands board is a 6×8 letter grid. Your goal is to find a set of theme words that each span across a connected path of letters, plus a spangram – a single word or phrase that spans the entire grid from one side to the other and also hints at the theme. If you are still working through it, three hints are below before the full solution.
Three hints before the answers
Hint 1: The theme is about age – specifically words that describe something very, very old.
Hint 2: The spangram is a four-word phrase that reads like a newspaper headline.
Hint 3: One theme word shares its root with the word “primary.”
NYT Strands answers for September 23, 2026
Theme: “Practically paleolithic”
Spangram: THATSOLDNEWS
Theme words:
ANCIENT
ARCHAIC
BYGONE
PRIMEVAL
TIMEWORN
Notes on today’s puzzle
The spangram THATSOLDNEWS is a punchy double-meaning phrase – “that’s old news” both reflects the theme (things that are ancient) and plays on the word “old” as a casual dismissal. It is the kind of spangram that lands with a groan-worthy click once you see it.
PRIMEVAL (from Latin primum – first – and aevum – age) is the vocabulary standout, meaning from the earliest period of time or development. It is the answer most likely to send players toward crossing letters first. ARCHAIC similarly derives from Greek arkhaios, meaning ancient, and is familiar from the phrase “archaic language.” TIMEWORN and BYGONE are the more accessible entries – common adjectives that should surface quickly once the theme is clear.
All five theme words share the same concept: age that goes beyond old into genuinely prehistoric or historical territory. The constructor’s choice to frame this as a news headline rather than a straight synonym clue gives the puzzle a dry wit that sets it apart.
Looking for more puzzles? Find the NYT Strands September 22, 2026 answers here.
