Today's NYT Strands is live for Monday, July 6, 2026 (Puzzle #855). 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: "The growing season"
What It Really Means
Every theme word describes the process of becoming larger, more abundant, or more successful. Think verbs of expansion and development that apply to plants, businesses, or ideas taking off.
Think About...
- Words that describe plants maturing or spreading
- Synonyms for getting bigger or increasing in scope
- Terms associated with summer's peak growth period
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Diagonal zigzag, bottom to top
Letter Count: 10 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the last row, moving upward through the grid
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This spangram is the warm-season period when all the growth-themed words make perfect sense.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's the three-month stretch of the year when gardens explode, school's out, and everything is in full swing.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is S, last letter is E
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SUMMERTIME
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: To grow rapidly, like a weed taking over a garden bed.
Closer: Often used to describe something that sprouts quickly and spreads aggressively.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 7 letters total
Answer
BURGEON
Word 2
Vague: To increase in size, volume, or scope.
Closer: Think of a balloon inflating or a business opening new locations.
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 6 letters total
Answer
EXPAND
Word 3
Vague: To grow vigorously and prosper.
Closer: Describes something that isn't just surviving but actively flourishing.
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 6 letters total
Answer
THRIVE
Word 4
Vague: The process of a flower opening up.
Closer: What plants do in spring and summer when they reach their most colorful stage.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BLOOM
Word 5
Vague: To extend outward in all directions.
Closer: Think of butter on warm toast, or a rumor moving through an office.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
SPREAD
Word 6
Vague: To reach peak health and vitality.
Closer: The ultimate stage of growth where everything is abundant and thriving.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 8 letters total
Answer
FLOURISH
Full Answers
Spangram: SUMMERTIME
Theme Words:
- BURGEON
- EXPAND
- THRIVE
- BLOOM
- SPREAD
- FLOURISH
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Easy to Moderate
Trickiest Word: BURGEON (Less common in everyday conversation than the other words, it might take a second to surface from your vocabulary)
Our Take: A satisfying Monday warm-up with a cohesive theme that builds nicely toward the spangram. The zigzag path of SUMMERTIME adds a bit of navigation challenge, but the word list itself is generous enough that most solvers will unlock the hint system quickly.
