NYT Strands Answers Today: Sunday, November 8, 2026 (#980)
Stuck on today's Strands? Start with the theme clue and the nudges below, and only open the next hint if you need it. The spangram and the theme words stay hidden until the third hint. The FAQ at the very bottom gives the full solution, so stop before it if you want to keep playing.
Hint 1: Theme and nudges (no spoilers)
Official theme clue: Disciplined combat
- Every answer is the name of a fighting style.
- Most of these styles come from Asia, and the longest word on the board is a sport you may have seen on TV.
Hint 2: Show the spangram clues
- It has 11 letters and is made of two words, 7 letters then 4.
- It starts with M and ends with S.
- It runs from the left edge of the board (row 5) to the right edge (row 8).
Hint 3: Show the spangram and all theme words
The spangram is the umbrella term for all five theme words.
Hint 4: Strategy notes (contains spoilers)
A good order: start with the longest word, KICKBOXING (10 letters), and work outward. Once the five styles are placed, the letters that are left over must form the spangram, which touches both sides of the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spoiler warning: the answers in this FAQ give away the full solution.
What is the NYT Strands answer for Sunday, November 8, 2026 (#980)?
The theme is Disciplined combat. The spangram is MARTIALARTS and the theme words are JUDO, KARATE, KICKBOXING, NINJUTSU and TAEKWONDO.
What is today's Strands spangram?
The spangram for Strands #980 is MARTIALARTS (MARTIAL ARTS), 11 letters long. It touches the left and right sides of the board.
Finished Strands? Check today's NYT Connections hints and answers and Wordle answer and hints too.
Want to get faster at these? Our free Word Unscrambler can help you spot words in a jumble of letters, and you can see all daily answers.
Written by the Quiz Rebel Editorial Team
We cross-check every daily answer against several published solutions before posting it. More about our approach →