NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, October 9 (game #950)

Looking for Friday's NYT Strands hints and answers? Look no further. NYT Strands is the New York Times' latest word game, following in the footsteps of Wordle, Spelling Bee, and Connections. It's a fun and sometimes challenging game that requires a keen eye for wordplay. If you're having trouble, check out these hints for today's game, number 950.

The theme of today's Strands is unveiled in the first hint. Don't scroll any further if you don't want to know the theme. Today's theme is... [insert theme here]. Now that you know the theme, play any of the following words to unlock the in-game hints system: VIRILE, SHAVE, BREAD, BUILDER, DERAIL, and BEAVER.

Next up is the spangram, a lengthy word that spans the entire grid. The spangram in today's game has 12 letters. The spangram touches two sides of the board: the bottom, 3rd column on one side, and the top, 4th column on the other side.

Finally, the answers to today's Strands puzzle are revealed. You can view them in the image below (source: New York Times). The answers are BALDERDASH, RUBBISH, HOOEY, DRIVEL, NONSENSE, and SPANGRAM: UNBELIEVABLE. My rating for today's Strands is easy, and I scored a perfect game. Sometimes, the most obvious answer is the right one, so keep an eye out for non-game words like "wrong" as you search for your answers.