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NYT Strands puzzle #456, dated Monday, June 2, 2025, has the theme clue “On the vine.” The spangram is TOMATO; the six theme answers are PLUM, CHERRY, BEEFSTEAK, HEIRLOOM, JUBILEE, and LUNCHBOX. Use the graduated hints below before revealing the full solution.
Hints for the June 2 Strands puzzle
Try these in order to preserve some of the solving challenge. The first hints point toward the category; the later ones make the answer more explicit.
- The theme clue is “On the vine.”
- Think of a familiar fruit often treated as a vegetable in cooking.
- The theme answers are varieties or types of that fruit.
- The spangram has six letters and names the fruit that connects the theme words.
Spangram for Strands #456
The spangram is TOMATO. TechRadar describes it as crossing the grid from the left edge at row four to the right edge at row four.
All six theme answers
- PLUM
- CHERRY
- BEEFSTEAK
- HEIRLOOM
- JUBILEE
- LUNCHBOX
Why the theme fits
“On the vine” might initially suggest grapes, but the answer set points to tomato types: plum and cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom varieties, Jubilee, and lunchbox tomatoes. Forbes lists “BEEFCAKE,” but TechRadar and Try Hard Guides both give “BEEFSTEAK,” which fits the set; “BEEFCAKE” appears to be a typo.
Where to play
Strands is a digital word game available through NYT Games on desktop and mobile. TechRadar says the daily puzzle appears at midnight in each time zone; access terms may change, so check the current NYT Games page for availability.
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