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Strandshas whole new challenge for fans to ponder over today. This one contains several themed words and only one hint to help you figure out all those words hidden inside of the letter grid. It’s very easy to get stuck on this puzzle, even if you knowhow to playStrandsreally well.
If you are looking for help, you can find everything you need below. There are clues to the theme, spoiled words, and even the whole answer to the puzzle in the sections below.
The NYT Games Strands Puzzle #287 Jul 25, 2025
TheStrandspuzzle for today has the clueMoonlighting. There are seven things to find, including the Spangram and six themed words.
New York Times Games Strands Clues
Here are three, spoiler-free clues for the theme of today’s puzzle. Each one of these are in separate sections; you can open them up by the Read More button below each one.
Hint 2: What does the moon look like?
General Hint 3
Hint 3: Example of a word that could go in this puzzle: New.
Spoilers for Two of the Words in Today’s Strands
For anyone who wants a spoiler but doesn’t want to save up for in-game hints, you can look into the sections below. Each one has just one spoiled word and a screenshot of where it goes inside thispuzzle game that can make you smarter.
Word 2: Waxing
The Answer to Today’s New York Times Games Strands
If you want to see the full answer to thisNew York Times GamesStrands, you can find it in the section below. Open it up to see what all the themed words are and where they go in the puzzle’s letter grid.
The category for today isLunarPhase. The words are Waxing, Full, Waning, Gibbous, Crescent, and Quarter.
Today’s Strands Explained
Want an explanation for thisrelaxing puzzle game? You can open up the section below to see a breakdown of how the theme, the themed words, and the clue all fit together.
Moonlightingis a good clue for this puzzle since the theme is all aboutLunar Phases. The phases of the moon are different shapes the moon makes based on how it is reflecting the sun and its position relative to the earth and the sun. Each of the themed words is a phase or shape of the moon.
Want to play? Check out theNew York Times Games Strandswebsite available on almost any device with a browser.
