NYT Strands, the latest addition to the New York Times’ puzzle offerings, presents a fresh daily challenge. Players are tasked with uncovering all the hidden words within a grid, including a central Spangram that encapsulates the theme. This article provides hints, answers, and the Spangram for the August 17, 2025, puzzle.
The New York Times has a rich history in the puzzle world, with its first crossword puzzle appearing on February 15, 1942. Over the years, the NYT has introduced a variety of engaging games, including the Mini Crossword, Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles, Wordle, Connections, and Strands.
For those encountering difficulty with today’s Strands puzzle, this resource offers hints to guide your progress. The theme for August 17, 2025, is ‘Think again!’.
Hints are provided, including a Spangram hint: “The creative, imaginative side of your mind often linked with art and intuition.” Additional hints are offered for specific words: “Emotions like joy, anger, sadness, or love that come from the heart, not logic,” and “The ability to think up fresh, original, and imaginative ideas.”
The answers for the August 17, 2025, Strands puzzle are FEELINGS, CREATIVITY, INTUITION, and SPONTANEITY. The Spangram for the puzzle is ‘RightBrain’.
Strands combines elements of Connections, Spelling Bee, and traditional crossword puzzles. The gameplay involves connecting letters on a 6×8 grid to form words based on a daily theme. Players must identify the Spangram, which spans the board, and other thematic words to solve the puzzle. Players can connect letters horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
To succeed, players should focus on uncovering theme words, which will be marked in blue once found. Look for the Spangram, which touches opposite sides of the board, and will be highlighted in yellow once found. Hints are available through off-topic words, which provide clues to themed words. Each time 3 non-theme words are revealed, the letters will be highlighted with a clue to find a themed word without revealing the word directly.
