Issue #628 Fri 21 Nov
NYT Strands Hints & Answer — November 21, 2025
A Friday grid that requires a steady hand and a bit of patience. The layout rewards those who look past the surface.
Theme 3 reveals
Today's theme
A room full of people nodding in unison while no one actually says anything of substance.
Office jargon and professional communication.
EMPTY BUSINESS JARGON
Spangram 4 hints · 14 letters
The connector word
A single compound noun.
14 letters.
Starts with C, ends with K.
CORPORATESPEAK
Group hint 1 reveal
Show all starting letters
Starting letters
- 1 A (5 letters)
- 2 D (7 letters)
- 3 I (6 letters)
- 4 L (6 letters)
- 5 P (5 letters)
- 6 S (5 letters)
Group hint 1 reveal
Show the first two letters of each
First two letters
- 1 AL (5 letters)
- 2 DI (7 letters)
- 3 ID (6 letters)
- 4 LI (6 letters)
- 5 PI (5 letters)
- 6 SC (5 letters)
Theme word 1 of 6 5 hints · 5 letters
A theme word
Get the rows and columns of your spreadsheet to finally match up.
5 letters.
Starts with A.
Starts with AL.
ALIGN
Theme word 2 of 6 5 hints · 7 letters
A theme word
Change the entire market by introducing something completely new.
7 letters.
Starts with D.
Starts with DI.
DISRUPT
Theme word 3 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
Spend the afternoon whiteboarding ideas that will likely never be built.
6 letters.
Starts with I.
Starts with ID.
IDEATE
Theme word 4 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
Bridge the gap between the marketing team and the engineers.
6 letters.
Starts with L.
Starts with LI.
LIAISE
Theme word 5 of 6 5 hints · 5 letters
A theme word
Change direction quickly when the original plan hits a wall.
5 letters.
Starts with P.
Starts with PI.
PIVOT
Theme word 6 of 6 5 hints · 5 letters
A theme word
Grow the business to handle ten times the current user base.
5 letters.
Starts with S.
Starts with SC.
SCALE
Spoiler zone
Complete Strands answer
Open only the solution you want to see. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.
Reveal the spangram
Reveal all theme words
- ALIGN
- DISRUPT
- IDEATE
- LIAISE
- PIVOT
- SCALE
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Strands on November 21, 2025. Every answer below helps you along without giving the game away — ready to see the full solution? See the complete Strands answer for November 21, 2025, or browse every Strands puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Strands on November 21, 2025?
NYT Strands on November 21, 2025 rates 3 out of 4 — a tougher-than-average puzzle. There are 6 theme words to find, plus the spangram that ties them together.
Where does the November 21, 2025 Strands spangram start?
The spangram is 14 letters long and stretches right across the board. It begins with the letter "C" — the hints above ease you toward the rest one step at a time, without spelling it out.
What is the theme of NYT Strands on November 21, 2025?
We keep the theme under wraps here so nothing is spoiled — but the ladder above walks you into it, starting with the puzzle's overall vibe. Want it stated outright, with the spangram and all 6 words? Open the answer section on this page.
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 6 theme words · 14-letter spangram
Today on Cluestand
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 6 theme words · 14-letter spangram