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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteNYT Strands game #492, for Tuesday, July 8, 2025, has the theme “So extra.” The second hint is “More than you might need.” The puzzle has nine entries, including its spangram. Stop at the progressive clue if you want to keep more of the solve intact; the full answer list follows the spoiler warning below.
Progressive hint for Strands #492
The nine entries begin with these letter pairs, in the order reported by Forbes contributor Kris Holt: KE, TI, BE, CH, TI, SP, HA, MO, PA. The clue points toward things you might keep beyond what you immediately need.
Spoiler warning: full answers below
Spangram
SPARES
Other theme words
- KEYS
- TIRES
- BEDROOM
- CHANGE
- TIME
- HANDS
- MOMENT
- PARTS
These answers and the theme wording are reported in Kris Holt’s Forbes guide, published July 7, 2025, ahead of the puzzle date: Forbes’ Strands #492 guide. The guide’s author says they found TIME, KEYS, PARTS, and HANDS while solving, and SPARES as the fifth theme word; that is the author’s account, not an independent test.
How NYT Strands works
Strands uses a six-by-eight letter grid. Find words connected by the theme clue, including a spangram that summarizes the connection and touches at least two sides of the board. Letters may connect vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, and a word can change direction.
To earn an in-game hint, find three valid words of at least four letters that are not among the theme answers. The hint then highlights one theme word. These mechanics are described in Tom’s Guide’s Strands overview; it is a third-party guide, not an official NYT rules page.
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