Unlocking Today's NYT Strands: Your Guide to 'Stand By Me'!

Welcome, fellow word sleuths, to another intriguing day of NYT Strands! If you're anything like us, the daily challenge of finding hidden words and unraveling the elusive spangram is a delightful mental workout. Today, Sunday, September 21st, 2025, presents us with a theme that evokes warmth, loyalty, and companionship: 'Stand By Me'.

NYT Strands, for the uninitiated, is the New York Times' newest sensation in word puzzles.

Your mission is to connect letters on a grid to form words that all relate to a central theme. One special, theme-revealing word, called the 'spangram', stretches across two opposite sides of the board. Find all the theme words and the spangram, and victory is yours!

The 'Stand By Me' theme today invites you to think about what it truly means to be there for someone.

Consider words that embody support, friendship, solidarity, and unwavering presence. Are you stuck and just need a little nudge?

Gentle Hints for September 21st:

• Think about verbs or nouns associated with offering assistance or comfort.
• What qualities define a strong, enduring bond between people?
• Consider different ways to express loyalty or being a trusted confidant.

If you're ready to peel back the curtain and see the full solution, proceed with caution! Spoilers lie ahead.

This is your last chance to turn back and solve it on your own.

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Today's NYT Strands Spangram:

The spangram for Sunday, September 21st, 2025, is:

COMPANIONSHIP

This beautifully encapsulates the essence of the 'Stand By Me' theme, representing the state of having a companion or companions, a feeling of fellowship.

All Theme Words for September 21st:

Here are all the words you needed to uncover in today's grid, directly related to our 'Stand By Me' theme and the spangram 'COMPANIONSHIP':

• ALLY: A person who cooperates with or helps another in a particular activity.
• FRIEND: A person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
• PARTNER: One of a pair of people engaged in the same activity.
• SUPPORT: To give assistance to, especially financially.
• LOYALTY: A strong feeling of support or allegiance.
• TRUST: Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone.
• ASSIST: To help someone by providing money, knowledge, or resources.
• DEVOTION: Profound dedication and affection.

How did you fare with today's 'Stand By Me' challenge? We hope these hints and solutions helped you conquer the grid.

Join us again tomorrow for another exciting round of NYT Strands!