.png){kind=logo}
A playful puzzle that celebrates hyphenated phrases, today’s Strands strings together words with rhythm, repetition, and a little whimsy.
HYPHENATED stretches across the grid as the spangram, linking chaotic and magical phrases like PELL-MELL and HOCUS-POCUS with pompous HOITY-TOITY and carefree WILLY-NILLY.
A satisfying challenge for solvers who enjoy spotting patterns, uncovering words, and connecting the theme step by step.
It’s August 19, and some woke up with the burden of post-Monday blues, coffee spilling over the desk before the first email even opened. But as we say, the show must go on. So, let’s take a break, look inside Strands, and then buckle in for the day’s work.
NYT Strands today is a celebration of words sewn together not only by sound but also by punctuation. It is lighthearted, rhythmic, and punctuated with a little dash.
Today’s subject is hyphenated terms. A whimsy-and cadence-filled theme, in which words double up to ring with delight.
If you’re new here, Strands is The New York Times’ daily 6x8 word search with a twist. Each grid hides a cluster of words tied to a theme. Spot one, and it glows blue, a neat reward in the flow of the day.
At its heart is the spangram, a single word that cuts across the grid and holds the theme together. Sometimes obvious, sometimes cunning, it’s the backbone of the puzzle.
Having trouble? Plug in three random four-letter words, and the game will throw you a clue. But where’s the fun without a bit of struggle?
Also Read: NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 18, 2025
HYPHENATED, the bond that ties each whimsical phrase, a dash that unites.
WILLY-NILLY, free-spirited and disorganized.
HOCUS-POCUS, a mischievous spell.
HOITY-TOITY, a self-important little smile.
PELL-MELL, hasty and disordered.
NYT Strands clues and answers begin with HOCUS-POCUS, a mystical hint at the theme. WILLY-NILLY and PELL-MELL fell into place, whereas HOITY-TOITY waited in the wings with its baffling twists. But when HYPHENATED emerged, the rest fell into place neatly, as though scribbled together deliberately.
That’s it for today’s NYT Strands, where each hyphenated phrase danced across the grid and the spangram.
A lighthearted win sandwiched between coffee sips and buzzing notifications, the ultimate pause before diving back into the day.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Strands Hints and Answer for 17 August 2025
