The NYT Strands answer for September 26, 2026, is here for puzzle #937.
Today’s theme is “A breath of fresh air.” The spangram – the word that spans the board and captures the theme – is GENTLEWIND. All seven strand words are types of wind or air movement.
Scroll past the hints section if you just need the answers.
Hints for NYT Strands #937 – September 26, 2026
Theme hint: Today’s category connects seven words that all describe light or moderate air movement -think synonyms for a gentle wind.
Spangram hint: The spangram is two words combined into one. The first part means soft or mild. The second part describes moving air.
Strand word hints:
Hint 1: A light, refreshing wind – often felt at the beach or on a warm day.
Hint 2: A stream of air or water moving in one direction.
Hint 3: A brief swirl of light snow, leaves, or wind activity.
Hint 4: A short, strong burst of wind.
Hint 5: A small burst of air, smoke, or breath.
Hint 6: A faint smell carried on the air, or a very light trace of wind.
Hint 7: A poetic or literary word for a soft, warm, gentle breeze – often used in classical literature.
NYT Strands Answers – September 26, 2026
Theme: “A breath of fresh air”
Spangram: GENTLEWIND
Strand words: BREEZE, CURRENT, FLURRY, GUST, PUFF, WHIFF, ZEPHYR
About Today’s Puzzle
The theme “A breath of fresh air” is elegantly unified – every strand word is either a type of wind or a movement of air. GENTLEWIND as the spangram ties the theme together neatly as a compound of its two constituent concepts.
Of the strand words, ZEPHYR is the most literary and likely the hardest find for solvers who don’t read much poetry or classical literature. In Greek mythology, Zephyrus was the god of the west wind, and the word has been used in English to describe a soft, warm breeze since at least the 15th century. BURL and CURRENT may have tricked some players into thinking of water rather than air, but in context both fit the wind theme cleanly.
FLURRY is perhaps the most playful entry – it most commonly suggests snow in everyday usage, but a “flurry of activity” or a “flurry of wind” is equally valid and fits the board’s theme without strain.
For more puzzle answers today, check out the Wordle answer for September 26, 2026, the NYT Connections #1203 answers, and yesterday’s NYT Strands #936 hints and answer.
