If you’re working through today’s Strands and want a nudge (or the outright solution), here’s the verified theme, spangram, and every themed word for puzzle #569. You can play or check your board at the official Strands page on The New York Times Games site: nytimes.com/games/strands.
Strands #569 theme (Sept. 23, 2025)
Theme: On the syllabus
Plainly put, the answers are the kinds of tasks and activities a university student does as part of a course.
Today’s spangram
Spangram (the grid-spanning phrase that encapsulates the theme): College Course (rendered in-grid without a space).
Note: Coverage of today’s puzzle differs on pathing — some solutions show a horizontal trace, others describe a route that winds downward from the first “C” on the top row. Either way, the underlying spangram is the same and must span the grid in a single continuous path.
All themed answers for #569
| Answer | Type |
|---|---|
| COLLEGECOURSE | Spangram |
| EXAM | Theme word |
| QUIZ | Theme word |
| PAPER | Theme word |
| LECTURE | Theme word |
| READING | Theme word |
| HOMEWORK | Theme word |
Quick refresher on Strands mechanics
- The grid is six by eight letters. You form words by linking adjacent letters in any direction, and paths can turn.
- Every letter on the board is used in the final solution set.
- There’s a daily theme that ties all answers together, plus a spangram that spans the grid and summarizes the theme.
- If you get stuck, finding three valid words of four or more letters triggers an in-game reveal of a theme word.
Difficulty for Sept. 23, 2025
Today’s puzzle is rated easy.
Play or revisit this puzzle
- Play today’s Strands: nytimes.com/games/strands
- Browse previous dates in the official archive: nytimes.com/games/strands/archive
