This is the Sunday, July 27, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle, No. 511—not the puzzle from July 27, 2024. The theme is “That’s a Good Look.” Start with the hints below if you want to solve it yourself; the answer list, including the spangram, appears farther down.
Hints for Strands No. 511
The theme is “That’s a Good Look.” Forbes’ extra nudge is “Put under the microscope.”
If you want a clue without seeing the answers, Forbes lists these first-two-letter clues for the theme words, in its stated board-reading order: WE, AN, EX, ST, SU, IN, and SC. TechRadar’s words for unlocking the in-game hint system are EXAM, ZINE, SNAIL, TINY, GREEN, and DINE.
The spangram has eight letters. TechRadar places its path from the bottom edge at column three to the top edge at column two.
How to solve the puzzle without spoiling every word
Strands uses a six-by-eight letter grid. Find theme words and a spangram that explains their connection. The spangram links at least two sides of the grid; letters in a word can connect horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and a path can change direction.
- Look for words that fit the theme before opening the answer list.
- To unlock an in-game hint, find three valid non-theme words of at least four letters. The hint button then highlights a theme word.
- Use the highlighted word and the theme to narrow down the remaining paths.
Strands is available on the NYT website and in the NYT Games app, according to Forbes.
Spoilers: spangram and answers
The spangram is ANALYSIS.
The other theme answers are STUDY, EXAMINE, SURVEY, WEIGH or WEIGHT, INSPECT, and SCRUTINIZE.
There is a source discrepancy on the W-word: TechRadar gives WEIGH, while Forbes lists WEIGHT. The two guides agree on the spangram and the other answer words.
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Why the answers fit the theme
“That’s a Good Look” points toward close examination. STUDY, EXAMINE, SURVEY, INSPECT, and SCRUTINIZE describe ways of looking or investigating; ANALYSIS names the process that connects them. WEIGH fits the idea of considering something carefully, while Forbes’ WEIGHT variant is the spelling it reports for that board answer.
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