#559Saturday, September 13, 2025
Strands answers for September 13, 2025 — “Better than good” (#559)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for September 13, 2025 (puzzle #559) is THEYREGREAT, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Better than good". The 6 theme words are APES, AUNTS, EXPECTATIONS, LAKES, MINDS and PLAINS.
Where is each answer on the September 13 Strands board?
The 6 theme words for Strands on September 13, 2025 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APES | 4 | row 8, column 6 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| AUNTS | 5 | row 1, column 6 | row 1, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| EXPECTATIONS | 12 | row 2, column 1 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| LAKES | 5 | row 3, column 4 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| MINDS | 5 | row 5, column 5 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| PLAINS | 6 | row 7, column 2 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| THEYREGREAT | 11 | row 1, column 1 | row 8, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the September 13 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for September 13, 2025 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 11 letters6 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads T-H-E-S-T-A, row 2 reads E-P-Y-N-U-E, row 3 reads X-E-R-L-K-S, row 4 reads T-C-E-G-A-S, row 5 reads A-T-S-R-M-D, row 6 reads I-O-N-E-I-N, row 7 reads S-P-L-A-E-P, and row 8 reads N-I-A-T-S-A.
How hard was the September 13 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #559 comes out easy, ahead of 8% of them.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the September 13 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #559 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the September 13 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on September 13, 2025?
The Strands clue for September 13, 2025 is “Better than good”, on puzzle #559. It is answered by the spangram THEYREGREAT, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on September 13, 2025?
The 6 Strands theme words for September 13, 2025 are APES, AUNTS, EXPECTATIONS, LAKES, MINDS and PLAINS, plus the spangram THEYREGREAT.
What was the big word in the September 13, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for September 13, 2025 is THEYREGREAT, 11 letters long, running from row 1, column 1 to row 8, column 4. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Better than good” mean?
The Strands theme “Better than good” for September 13, 2025 means THEYREGREAT — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands September 13, 2025?
Strands puzzle #559 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the September 13, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #559 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 8% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on September 13, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, September 13, 2025 is #559, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in September 2025, part of the full Strands archive.