Today’s NYT Strands puzzle for 21 November delivered a fun challenge. With a theme centered on corporate buzzwords, the grid was packed with meeting-room jargon and a spangram that tied it all together. Below, you’ll find the theme breakdown, solving hints, and all the answers.
21 November 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “Heard at the board meeting”
Today’s theme played with the familiar—and sometimes amusing—lexicon of office-speak. All the words were terms you’d expect to hear in pitch decks or strategy meetings, giving the puzzle a lively, modern feel. It wasn’t difficult, but it definitely leaned into recognizable corporate lingo.
21 November 2025 NYT Strands: Hints
- Think of words you’d hear during brainstorming sessions or strategy updates.
- Look for short, punchy verbs often used in business conversations.
- The grid features terms that suggest planning and adjusting direction.
- Expect one or two words that feel very “management meeting.”
- The spangram ties everything together with a nod to workplace jargon.
21 November 2025 NYT Strands: Answers
- align
- liaise
- scale
- ideate
- pivot
- disrupt
Spangram
corporate speak
This spangram loops through the grid to capture the overall theme—highlighting the jargon-heavy language heard in boardrooms and team meetings, tying all the answer words together.
How Strands works
Strands is a daily word search puzzle with a twist:
• You’re given a theme.
• The grid is packed with hidden words tied to that theme.
• Words can run in any direction, including diagonals.
• Once you find all the theme words, you’re done!
Each puzzle usually has around 5–8 theme words.
Tips to become a NYT Strands pro
- Start with obvious words. Look for clear connections to the theme first.
- Scan diagonals early. Strands loves to hide words at an angle.
- Build around found words. Once one word is cleared, the leftover letters often point to the next.
- Use hints wisely. Earn them steadily by spotting extra words, then save them for when you’re truly stuck.
- Think about synonyms. The theme clue isn’t always literal — broaden your thinking.
Final thoughts
Today’s Strands leaned more toward fun than difficulty, especially if you’re familiar with business buzzwords. The theme was clever, the word choices were crisp, and the spangram tied things neatly together. How many did you spot without help?
