Strandsis here to bend your mind and give you a big challenge to start your day. In order to win, you will need to figure out the theme from the one clue you get and find all seven words in the letter grid that match that theme.
To win this game, you will need to know more than just therules of how to playStrands; you will also need to know something about the theme and all the words without knowing what they are. If you need help, this article is here to help you out.
The NYT Games Strands Puzzle #288 July 14, 2025
TheStrandspuzzle for today has the clueCrossed Words. There are seven total items to find: a Spangram and six themed words.
New York Times Games Strands Clues
Searching for some help but don’t want spoilers for thisminimalist puzzle game? you’re able to find three, spoiler-free clues in the sections below to help you get closer to the answer without ruining any of the answers.
Hint 1: Double meaning in words, perhaps?
Hint 3: Motel, Cosplay, Cronut, Sitcom.
Spoilers for Two of the Words in Today’s Strands
If you want a spoiler or two for today’s puzzle, you can find some in the sections below. Each one has just one spoiled word and a screenshot of where it goes in the letter grid.
Word 2: Zorse
The Answer to Today’s New York Times Games Strands
The full answer to thispuzzle gamecan be found in the section below. Inside the expandable section below are all the themed words and a screenshot of where to put them.
The category for today isPortmanteaux. The words are Zorse, Anklet, Smog, Athleisure, Spork, and Brunch.
Today’s Strands Explained
A full explanation for thisbrowser gamecan be found in the section below. There, you can see how the theme, the themed words, and the clue all go together.
The puzzle today had the clueCrossed Wordsbecause the theme for today isPortmanteaux, which means words that are made by combining two words to make a new one. All the themed words are Portmanteaux in English.
Want to play? Check out theNew York Times Games Strandswebsite available on almost any device with a browser.
