Today's NYT Strands is live for Sunday, August 2, 2026 (Puzzle #882). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Eyes on the prize"
What It Really Means
You are hunting for words that express what someone wants to accomplish, the reasoning behind it, or the course chosen to reach it.
Think About...
- The inner drive behind a major achievement.
- A clearly defined result worth pursuing.
- The reasoning and chosen course behind future action.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 7 letters
Starting Zone: Row 8, letter 6
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of an encouraging command for someone with big aspirations.
Hint 2 (Warmer): This upbeat phrase tells you to set your sights above the ordinary.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is A, last letter is H
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AIMHIGH
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: The inner drive that keeps someone reaching for greater achievements.
Closer: This quality fuels a strong desire for success, advancement, or distinction.
Letter Clue: Starts with A, 8 letters total
Answer
AMBITION
Word 2
Vague: The result someone works toward.
Closer: In sports, scoring one of these can change the game.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 4 letters total
Answer
GOAL
Word 3
Vague: What someone means or expects to do.
Closer: A stated resolve to act can be described with this word.
Letter Clue: Starts with I, 9 letters total
Answer
INTENTION
Word 4
Vague: A specific result established before the work begins.
Closer: A project brief often defines this concrete, measurable result.
Letter Clue: Starts with O, 9 letters total
Answer
OBJECTIVE
Word 5
Vague: A mapped-out course for getting something done.
Closer: This is the step-by-step blueprint prepared before action starts.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 4 letters total
Answer
PLAN
Word 6
Vague: The deeper reason something exists or is done.
Closer: Ask what something is for, and the answer identifies this underlying reason.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 7 letters total
Answer
PURPOSE
Full Answers
Spangram: AIMHIGH
Theme Words:
- AMBITION
- GOAL
- INTENTION
- OBJECTIVE
- PLAN
- PURPOSE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, the close overlap among AMBITION, GOAL, INTENTION, OBJECTIVE, PLAN, and PURPOSE makes the category clear before every individual answer is obvious.
Trickiest Word: OBJECTIVE is the likeliest stumper because it also commonly means impartial, which can pull attention away from its result-oriented sense.
Our Take: AIMHIGH gives the set an energetic lift, while AMBITION, GOAL, INTENTION, OBJECTIVE, PLAN, and PURPOSE explore different parts of directed effort. The tight semantic overlap makes the theme satisfying, though it also demands careful distinctions between drive, destination, reasoning, and method.
