Today's NYT Strands is live for Tuesday, August 18, 2026 (Puzzle #898). 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: "Fool me once ..."
What It Really Means
The prompt points to verbs for getting someone to accept a falsehood or follow a false impression.
Think About...
- A trick carried out through words.
- A false impression presented as truth.
- Someone being steered toward the wrong conclusion.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Top to bottom down the board
Letter Count: 9 letters
Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 3
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a person defined by false claims and manufactured credibility.
Hint 2 (Warmer): This person pretends to possess knowledge, status, or abilities that are not genuine.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is C, last letter is N
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CHARLATAN
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Leave someone thoroughly confused through trickery.
Closer: This playful, old-fashioned verb suggests leaving someone both conned and bewildered.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 9 letters total
Answer
BAMBOOZLE
Word 2
Vague: Cheat someone out of something they are owed.
Closer: This compact verb is often used when someone is cheated out of money.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total
Answer
BILK
Word 3
Vague: Cause someone to accept something untrue.
Closer: This is the broad, formal verb for deliberately making another person believe a falsehood.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 7 letters total
Answer
DECEIVE
Word 4
Vague: Trick a trusting person into believing or doing something.
Closer: This four-letter term works as a verb, while its noun use names the person taken in.
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 4 letters total
Answer
DUPE
Word 5
Vague: Gain an advantage over someone through concealment or trickery.
Closer: This old-fashioned compound verb evokes covering someone's sight before tricking them.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 8 letters total
Answer
HOODWINK
Word 6
Vague: Steer someone toward an incorrect belief or conclusion.
Closer: Its literal image is guiding someone in the wrong direction, and its everyday use applies that idea to information.
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 7 letters total
Answer
MISLEAD
Full Answers
Spangram: CHARLATAN
Theme Words:
- BAMBOOZLE
- BILK
- DECEIVE
- DUPE
- HOODWINK
- MISLEAD
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, the shared idea emerges quickly, but the less everyday entries add resistance.
Trickiest Word: BILK is the trickiest word because it is less common in everyday speech and usually appears in the specific construction of cheating someone out of money.
Our Take: CHARLATAN gives the puzzle a satisfying center by naming the person who could perform every action in the theme list. BAMBOOZLE and HOODWINK supply playful color, while BILK, DECEIVE, DUPE, and MISLEAD keep the underlying idea precise and coherent.
