NYT Strands puzzle #521 for Wednesday, August 6, 2025, has the theme clue “Paint me a picture.” Start with the progressive hints below; the full answer list and spangram are marked as spoilers.
Hints for Strands #521
- Theme: “Paint me a picture.”
- Words to enter for in-game hints: BOSS, STEW, PILL, CHUTE, GUILTY, and SWEET. These are clue words for unlocking the game’s hints, not theme answers.
- Spangram: It has nine letters and runs from the top edge at column 3 to the bottom edge at column 4.
Spoiler: answers for Wednesday, August 6
Theme words: GUITAR, BOOK, SUNFLOWERS, FRUIT, JEWELRY, and PITCHER.
Spangram: STILL LIFE.
TechRadar and the dated archive result list SUNFLOWERS; Forbes gives the singular SUNFLOWER. The answer set here follows the plural spelling.
How Strands works
Strands uses a six-by-eight letter grid. Players find words connected by a theme: theme words are highlighted in blue, while the spangram—which names what the theme words have in common, spans two opposite sides of the board, and is highlighted in yellow—ties the set together. The game is available through NYT Games on desktop or mobile.
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