NYT Strands Difficulty Today: How Hard Is Today's Strands?
Every Strands puzzle gets a difficulty score from 1 to 5. Below you will find today's score, how it compares with every other puzzle in this tracker, what the rating means for you, the hardest and easiest puzzles and words, and the full trend since September 14, 2026.
Today's Strands Difficulty Score
Bands: Easy+ under 3.0, Medium 3.0 to 3.4, Medium+ 3.5 to 3.9, Hard 4.0 and above.
What Today's Rating Means for You
This is a general reading of the band, not a description of today's words, so nothing is spoiled.
Where These Scores Come From
We do not run a measured study of solvers. Each score is a number on a 1 to 5 scale that we assign to match the daily difficulty rating published for that puzzle, such as the Easy, Moderate or Hard label in NYT's Strands Sidekick. An "Easy" rating becomes a score under 3.0, a "Moderate" rating becomes 3.0 to 3.4, and anything harder lands in Medium+ or Hard. Scores from earlier in the tracker are our own editorial estimates.
The four bands (Easy+, Medium, Medium+, Hard) are our own grouping so a day is easy to read at a glance. The estimated fail rate is calculated from the score and is not real player data. These scores are not official NYT numbers.
This tracker starts on September 14, 2026. Older puzzles are not included yet.
How the Difficulty Bands Work
| Band | Score | Puzzles in this tracker | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy+ | Under 3.0 | A clear theme, short familiar words and simple paths. Most solvers finish without a hint. | |
| Medium | 3.0 to 3.4 | An average puzzle. The theme takes a moment to click, or one or two words are uncommon. | |
| Medium+ | 3.5 to 3.9 | A looser theme, long or abstract words, or a spangram that is hard to spot. A hint is likely. | |
| Hard | 4.0 and up | A vague theme, rare vocabulary or tangled paths. Some solvers give up. |
Strands Difficulty Trend: All Puzzles So Far
Difficulty score per puzzle
Difficulty Summary
How the puzzles split by level
Hardest and Easiest Strands Puzzles So Far
Past puzzles only, so today's answer is not spoiled.
Top 10 hardest
Top 10 easiest
Hardest and Easiest Strands Words
How we score a word
Each theme word gets its own 1 to 5 score. We start from 1, then add points for four things: the puzzle's difficulty (how tricky that day's board was), the word's length (long words are harder to trace), whether it is an uncommon or old-fashioned word, and nothing for short everyday words. Spangrams are not included. These are editorial estimates, not official NYT data, and the same word keeps its highest score if it appears twice.
Hardest Strands Words in October 2026
The 10 toughest theme words from puzzles this month.
Hardest Strands Words of 2026
The 10 toughest theme words across every puzzle we have recorded this year.
Easiest Strands Words in October 2026
The 10 easiest theme words from puzzles this month. Short, everyday words you can guess from the theme alone.
Easiest Strands Words of 2026
The 10 easiest theme words across every puzzle we have recorded this year.
Is Strands Harder on Some Days of the Week?
Monthly Average Difficulty
Estimated Fail Rate
We estimate the share of solvers who would give up from each puzzle's score. At a score of 1.4 or lower the estimate is 0%, and it rises about 6 points for every 1 point of difficulty. It is a rough guide, not real player data.
How to Use the Difficulty Score
Before you play
Check the score and label. On a Medium+ or Hard day, plan to use your free hint instead of feeling stuck. On an Easy+ day, try to solve without any hints.
When you are stuck
Open the daily hints one level at a time. Start with the mild nudge and stop as soon as you have enough to carry on.
Strands Difficulty: Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Strands difficulty score decided?
We take the daily difficulty rating published for the puzzle, such as the Easy, Moderate or Hard label in NYT's Strands Sidekick, and turn it into a number from 1 to 5. Earlier scores in the tracker are our own editorial estimates.
Is the score official NYT data?
No. The numbers are ours. They follow the published daily rating but are not official NYT scores, and the fail rate is calculated, not measured.
What is a good score to aim for?
There is no target. The score only tells you what to expect, so use it to decide how much help to take.
Why are some Strands puzzles harder than others?
Usually it is a vague or punny theme, uncommon words or a spangram that does not start in a corner. Crowded boards with many repeated letters also add to the difficulty.
Does the score change after it is published?
It can. We may adjust a score a little if reader feedback shows a puzzle was clearly easier or harder than we first judged.
Where can I see yesterday's difficulty?
Yesterday's score is on the yesterday's answers page, and every past score is in the tables above and on the archive pages.