Today’s NYT Strands is Thursday, August 13, 2026, puzzle #893. The reported theme clue is “Coming in hot.” Start with the spoiler-free hints below; the answer list follows a clear warning. Two answer guides agree on five theme words, but a third lists an additional word, so that entry is marked unverified rather than presented as certain.
Hints for Strands #893
Use these in order if you want to preserve as much of the solve as possible:
- Theme clue: “Coming in hot.”
- Words that can unlock in-game hints: CRIED, SALE, FORT, BRAND, ROVER, and EVENT. In Strands, finding three non-theme words of four or more letters unlocks a hint that reveals letters of an unfound theme answer, according to Wordhint’s rules summary.
- Spangram length: nine letters.
- Spangram route: the reported path touches the left edge at row one and the right edge at row four.
Spoiler warning: reported answers
The answers below reveal the puzzle. TechRadar and Eastern Herald report the same five theme words; Wordhint lists one additional word, FERVENT. The official NYT board was not available to confirm that discrepancy, so FERVENT should be treated as unverified.
Reported theme answers
- FIERCE
- HEATED
- TORRID
- INTENSE
- ZEALOUS
Spangram
FIREBRAND
Wordhint also lists FERVENT, but the other two reviewed answer guides do not. Check the board if you need to settle whether it belongs to this edition’s word list.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow Strands hints work
Strands uses a 6-by-8 grid of 48 letters. Theme words are traced through the grid, and the spangram is the theme-linked word or phrase that spans opposite sides of the board. The rules details here come from a secondary guide rather than an official NYT rules page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which August 13 puzzle is this?
“August 13” alone is ambiguous: answer guides also surfaced editions dated August 13 in 2024 and 2025. This guide refers to Thursday, August 13, 2026, game #893, the edition identified by TechRadar and Eastern Herald. The daily puzzle changes at midnight in each time zone, so the edition someone sees as “today’s” can depend on their location and when they play.
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