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A tribute to exact matches and flawless doubles, from the stand-in that fools the eye to the shadow walking in step.
COPYTHAT runs across the grid, linking reflections like FACSIMILE, DOUBLE, and LOOKALIKE.
A puzzle that values symmetry, clarity, and the art of perfect imitation.
It’s August 12, a Tuesday forged in the rumble of the road under your tires, a coffee resting in the cupholder, and the quiet excitement of impending work. The day lies before you, but there’s always time to take a break for a puzzle.
NYT Strands today is all about what’s precisely the same, the echo you might confuse with the original. The puzzle gives a nod to the double-takes, the mirror images, the perfect replicas that fool the eye.
Strands is The New York Times’ daily word search played on a 6x8 grid. For those new to it, you’re given a theme and challenged to unearth all the connected words. Find one, and it lights up in blue, a small but satisfying victory.
At the center of the puzzle is the spangram, a golden thread that weaves from one grid edge to the next, tying the puzzle’s identity together. It sometimes remains concealed in plain view, and sometimes, it’s the final click before it all holds together.
Having trouble? Enter three four-letter words to get a theme-based hint. But the absolute joy is finding each word independently, one at a time.
Also Read: NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 10, 2025
COPYTHAT is a phrase that is both a greeting and an afterthought.
LOOKALIKE, the familiar stranger
DUPLICATE, the second made identical to the first
REPLICA, the substitute with exact proportions
FACSIMILE, the official, accurate copy
DOUBLE, the shadow walking alongside the original
Today’s NYT Strands clues and answers give a boost to the rush that your coffee sips provide. The topic didn’t conceal itself in wordplay; it just stood out in the open, offering synonyms for ‘exact match.’ COPYTHAT was more functional than poetic, and though REPLICA and FACSIMILE were a bit tastier, nothing here necessitated a leap.
There’s some value in a plain good win. Not all puzzles need to challenge your stamina; occasionally, it’s simply enough to tip one’s hat to the concept of ideal sameness and leave it alone.
A new theme arrives tomorrow, possibly something more twisty. For now, though, let this one lie, tidy, even, and in ideal alignment, just as it is meant to be.
Also Read: NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 11, 2025
