A meditation on what lingers after the main moment has passed — from the bottom of a glass to the keepsake from a journey.
LEFTOVERS threads the grid, connecting fragments like VESTIGE, TRACE, and REMNANT.
A puzzle that rewards quiet observation, seeing value in what’s left behind.
It’s August 11, a Monday with the distant hint of clinking glasses, the eddy of coffee grounds at the bottom of a mug, and the unobtrusive memory of a suitcase still half-packed in the corner.
Today’s Strands puzzle stays on what’s left behind, the signs, markers, and leftovers that survive the moment.
The topic is to discover the remainder.
A tip of the hat to the forgotten and the left behind, from the sediment at the bottom of your drink to the tiny memento of a vacation you can’t seem to forget.
For new readers, Strands is The New York Times’ daily word search on a 6x8 grid. You are provided with a theme and challenged to dig up all the related words. Each valid find glows blue, a tiny, pleasing nod.
At the center of it all is the spangram, a gilded string of a word that runs the width or length of the grid, holding the puzzle together. It never seems to announce itself immediately, but when discovered, it releases the remainder in an easy flow.
Stuck? Provide three four-letter words to gain a clue related to the theme. But the greatest prize is in the slow revelation, each word gained, not provided.
LEFTOVERS, that lingering presence after the meal, the trip, or the day itself.
RESIDUE, the thin layer of memory leaves behind
DREGS, the concentrated end of a drink
TRACE, faint but undeniable
SOUVENIR, a tangible echo of an experience
VESTIGE, the silhouette of what used to be
REMNANT, the fragment that would not disappear
This was a recognition-based puzzle, not a speed one, an incentive to slow down and pick up on the little things that remain after the big show. Some words packed their meaning pictorially, such as the minuscule presence of TRACE or the heavy feel of REMNANT, while others, such as SOUVENIR, drew the mind somewhere sunnier, warmer, and distant.
NYT Strands Today was a reminder: not all value is in the main course. Sometimes the richness is in the residue, in what’s left to be savored after the rush is gone.
Tomorrow brings a new theme, a fresh hunt. But for now, let the remnants rest, the last sip, the final crumb, the folded ticket stub tucked between pages.
Also Read: NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 10, 2025