#627Thursday, November 20, 2025
Strands answers for November 20, 2025 — “Busybody buzz” (#627)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for November 20, 2025 (puzzle #627) is SPREADTHEWORD, a 13-letter answer to the theme "Busybody buzz". The 5 theme words are GOSSIP, HEARSAY, REPORT, RUMOR and SCUTTLEBUTT.
Where is each answer on the November 20 Strands board?
The 5 theme words for Strands on November 20, 2025 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOSSIP | 6 | row 2, column 4 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| HEARSAY | 7 | row 4, column 6 | row 4, column 3 | right to left |
| REPORT | 6 | row 4, column 1 | row 2, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| RUMOR | 5 | row 1, column 1 | row 1, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SCUTTLEBUTT | 11 | row 7, column 1 | row 8, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SPREADTHEWORD | 13 | row 7, column 6 | row 5, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the November 20 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for November 20, 2025 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 13 letters5 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 R-O-R-S-S-P, row 2 reads U-M-T-G-O-I, row 3 reads E-P-R-S-R-A, row 4 reads R-O-Y-A-E-H, row 5 reads H-E-W-O-R-D, row 6 reads T-D-A-E-R-P, row 7 reads S-C-U-T-T-S, and row 8 reads T-T-U-B-E-L.
How hard was the November 20 Strands puzzle?
Measured against the full archive, the November 20, 2025 puzzle lands in the above average range — above 71% of all Strands puzzles.
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 November 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #627 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 November 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on November 20, 2025?
The Strands clue for November 20, 2025 is “Busybody buzz”, on puzzle #627. It is answered by the spangram SPREADTHEWORD, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on November 20, 2025?
The 5 Strands theme words for November 20, 2025 are GOSSIP, HEARSAY, REPORT, RUMOR and SCUTTLEBUTT, plus the spangram SPREADTHEWORD.
What was the big word in the November 20, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for November 20, 2025 is SPREADTHEWORD, 13 letters long, running from row 7, column 6 to row 5, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Busybody buzz” mean?
The Strands theme “Busybody buzz” for November 20, 2025 means SPREADTHEWORD — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands November 20, 2025?
Strands puzzle #627 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the November 20, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #627 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 71% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on November 20, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Thursday, November 20, 2025 is #627, 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 November 2025, part of the full Strands archive.