Within the New York Times’ gaming landscape, NYT Strands stands as the latest innovative puzzle. This daily offering presents unique themes, challenging players to uncover all concealed words on the grid, including a Spangram, which traverses opposite sides of the board, providing a deeper understanding of the theme.
The New York Times introduced its initial crossword puzzle on February 15, 1942, within its Sunday Magazine. Charles Erlenkotter developed the puzzle, with Margaret Farrar editing it, making the publication a leader in introducing such puzzles. The NYT has since expanded its game offerings to include the Mini Crossword in 2014, Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, and Tiles. The highly popular Wordle was launched in 2022, followed by Connections and Strands.
Need assistance with today’s NYT Strands puzzle? This guide is here to assist you with hints, encouraging you to explore further, as well as provide the answers for August 26, 2025.
**Theme:** ‘Bee friendly’
**Hints:**
**Spangram Hint:** A tiny reproductive cell of fungi, ferns, or mosses that can grow into a new organism.
**Word Hints:**
1. A simple white-petalled flower with a yellow centre.
2. A bright orange or yellow flower often used in festivals and decorations.
**Answers:**
* DAISY
* MARIGOLD
* PRIMROSE
* BLUEBELL
* CHAMOMILE
**Spangram:** ‘WildFlower’
Strands incorporates elements from various puzzle types, including Connections, Spelling Bee, and classic crosswords. Participants are presented with a 6×8 inch grid containing 48 letters, along with a daily theme. The goal is to identify the Spangram and locate all related theme words.
Gameplay involves connecting letters on the grid to form words, using a mouse or touch screen. These connections can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.
The central element to focus on is the theme word or Spangram, as it provides context to the Strands theme.
In addition to the Spangram, find other theme words within the puzzle. Successfully locating all theme words solves the puzzle.
**Solving Strategies:**
* Reveal theme words by filling the table with the correct answers. These words will be marked in blue and will not overlap once identified.
* Identify the Spangram, which is essential because it spans opposite sides of the board, summarizing the topic, and can include two words. The Spangram is highlighted in yellow when found.
* Use hints by focusing on non-theme words, acting as a guide. For every 3 non-theme words revealed, clues will appear to help you find a themed word without directly showing the word.