NYT Strands Hints and Answers for November 22, 2025 (#629)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of November 22, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of November 22, 2025? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for November 22, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Ivy League
The puzzle calls today’s theme “Ivy League”. Read it loosely: the 6 answers are examples of it, not synonyms for it.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, B, C, L, Q, T. Two of them start with the same letter (B).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 5, 5, 6, 7, 7 and 8 letters long. The shortest is 5 letters, the longest 8.
SpangramThe spangram
SPORTSTEAM
It is a single word of 10 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with S, ends with M.
AnswersAll theme words
- BEARS5 letters
- LIONS5 letters
- TIGERS6 letters
- CRIMSON7 letters
- QUAKERS7 letters
- BULLDOGS8 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.
Yesterday’s Strands
Yesterday’s Strands
#628 · “Heard at the board meeting”
Spangram: CORPORATESPEAK
Read yesterday’s hints