The New York Times’ daily Strands puzzle is now live, and players can find hints for today’s game on this page. To play, a six by eight grid of letters will be presented, with the goal of finding words that share a common theme. The theme word will remain highlighted in blue.
Another key component to find is a spangram, which reveals what connects the theme words. This spangram links two opposite sides of the board and can be a proper name or phrase.
Editor Tracy notes that themes may include fill-in-the-blank phrases, steps in a process, items in a category, synonyms, or homophones. The challenge is to think creatively.
The answers for today’s Strands puzzle have been revealed, with the spangram being “SPORTSGOOF”. This term links two opposite sides of the board and provides insight into the common theme.
Breaking down the spangram, the words can be categorized as different ways you can screw up in sports. Official terms include FAULT, FUMBLE, ERROR, while more colloquial phrases like MUFF, WHIFF, and BLOOPER describe mess-ups in general. The puzzle’s clever wordplay requires players to think outside the box.
Stay tuned for future updates on Strands puzzles and follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2025/08/02/nyt-strands-hints-and-answers-for-august-3