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NYT Strands puzzle #947 for October 6, 2026, has the theme “Changing course.” If you want to solve it yourself, start with the hints below; the full answers and 16-letter spangram are farther down. The reported spelling of one theme word differs between two published answer lists, so that discrepancy is noted.

Hints for Strands #947

Theme hint

The official theme is “Changing course.” Think of words for reversing or undoing a decision.

Starting-letter hint

The five theme words begin with BAC…, FLI…, OVE…, REV…, and UND… .

Spangram hint

The spangram is a playful phrase about switching one thing for another. It has 16 letters and, according to TechRadar’s October 6 guide, runs between two positions on the bottom edge.

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Answers for October 6

Spoilers below.

Spangram

THEOLDSWITCHEROO

Theme words

  • BACKPEDAL
  • FLIP
  • OVERTURN
  • UNDO

The fifth word is reported with conflicting spellings: TechRadar lists REVERSED, while Tom’s Guide lists REVERSE. The available answer lists do not establish which spelling appeared in the original puzzle.

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How the puzzle works

Strands Today describes the board as a 6×8 grid where letters connect horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Its guide says finding three non-theme words unlocks a hint. These are third-party instructions, not a verified statement from NYT; see Strands Today’s guide.

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