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NYT Strands puzzle #564, dated Thursday, September 18, 2025, has the theme clue “Practice makes perfect.” Start with the hints below if you want to solve it yourself; the full word list and spangram are farther down behind a spoiler warning.
Theme clue
Practice makes perfect. Think about what a musician might work on repeatedly to improve.
Spangram hint
The spangram is a 12-letter phrase for something a person might sign up for to improve at the keys. It runs vertically from the top edge to the bottom edge. TechRadar places its start at column 3 on the top edge and its finish at column 5 on the bottom edge.
Theme-word initials and lengths
Use these in the published answer order to narrow down the remaining words:
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- C — 5 letters
- R — 7 letters
- S — 5 letters
- T — 9 letters
- T — 6 letters
- T — 4 letters
Optional solving context
All Things How describes Strands as a word-search game played on a 6-by-8 grid: paths can turn and move diagonally, and each tile is used once. Its guide recommends finding three valid non-theme words of at least four letters to reveal a theme-word path, then using likely musical anchors such as SCALE or CHORD to help identify other words. These are guide-provided strategies, not a claim of firsthand solving.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Spoiler warning: full answers
Stop here if you want to solve the board without seeing the solutions.
Theme words
- CHORD
- RECITAL
- SCALE
- TECHNIQUE
- THEORY
- TUNE
Spangram
PIANOLESSONS (PIANO LESSONS)
The words bring together musical building blocks such as chords and scales, study and approach through theory and technique, and sound and performance through a tune and recital.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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