

NYT Strands on July 12, 2026, uses the theme In the Big Apple and focuses on places, shops, and sights found across New York City.
The puzzle feels easier than recent entries since words like TAXI and DELI quickly reveal the city theme and guide later guesses.
This guide includes the complete list of answers, the NEWYORKCITY spangram, and simple tips that can help players finish the puzzle confidently.
Today's NYT Strands puzzle brings a recognizable New York City-themed challenge. Once a few words appear, the overall theme becomes much easier to identify. Unlike the other theme words, the Spangram stretches across the grid, connecting two opposite sides. It can change direction as it winds through adjacent letters, making it one of the puzzle's defining features.
Today's NYT Strands is ‘In the Big Apple.’ It sounds like it’s about fruits, but it’s mostly about New York City. So, for today’s non-spangram words, you must look for words that are related to shops, buildings, or anything you can see in the city of New York.
Most of the words are easy to identify, although a few may be slightly trickier depending on familiarity with the city. The solution offers complete satisfaction since the theme remains unchanged from the start to the conclusion.
Here are the clues for each word in today’s puzzle:
First word: a four-letter word starting with TA
Second word: a four-letter word starting with DE
Third word: a five-letter word starting with BA
Fourth word: a five-letter word starting with ST
Fifth word: a six-letter word starting with BO
Sixth word: a six-letter word starting with SU
Seventh word: a seven-letter word starting with BO
The non-spangram answers for the July 12 NYT Strands Answer are:
TAXI,
DELI,
BAGEL,
STOOP,
BODEGA,
SUBWAY,
BOROUGH
Each answer fits perfectly within the New York City theme and reflects places, landmarks, or features associated with the city.
Spangram Explained
Spangram: EMPIRESTATE
The puzzle of today provides a simple yet enjoyable challenge that features terms that indicate one of the most lively cities in the world. The NYT Strands Today puzzle combines entertaining wordplay with established categories to produce daily puzzles that provide satisfying gameplay to all players.