Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, June 11, 2026 (Puzzle #830). 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: "Oozing"
What It Really Means
Today's theme is a wordplay on sound. Every theme word shares the same long "ooze" vowel sound, even though each is spelled differently. Think words that rhyme with "ooze" and you're on the right track.
Think About...
- Words ending in sounds like "ooz," "oos," or "ews" that rhyme with "ooze"
- Musical genres, footwear, and social verbs
- Anything involving blending, picking, or floating
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Vertical
Letter Count: 9 letters
Starting Zone: Third letter of the first row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This spangram is a compound word that describes what happens when you put rhyming words together.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think of a phrase used in poetry slams or rap battles when it's your turn to show off your verbal skills.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is R, last letter is E
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RHYMETIME
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A feeling of sadness, often set to music
Closer: A genre of music born from African American spirituals and work songs
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BLUES
Word 2
Vague: To join two things together permanently
Closer: What happens when metals melt and bond, or when two electrical wires connect
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 4 letters total
Answer
FUSE
Word 3
Vague: What you wear on your feet
Closer: Footwear that covers the foot but typically not the ankle, often worn with socks
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SHOES
Word 4
Vague: A relaxing vacation on the water
Closer: A sea voyage for pleasure, often on a large ship with amenities
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total
Answer
CRUISE
Word 5
Vague: The act of picking one option over others
Closer: To decide between alternatives, or what you do when you pick from a menu
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total
Answer
CHOOSE
Word 6
Vague: The process of making beer or coffee
Closer: To steep and extract flavor from coffee grounds or tea leaves, or to ferment beer
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BREWS
Word 7
Vague: Casual, flattering conversation
Closer: The art of schmoozing involves networking, charm, and polite small talk with a purpose
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
SCHMOOZE
Full Answers
Spangram: RHYMETIME
Theme Words:
- BLUES
- FUSE
- SHOES
- CRUISE
- CHOOSE
- BREWS
- SCHMOOZE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: SCHMOOZE (Eight letters can be intimidating, and its Yiddish origin spelling doesn't follow standard English patterns, making it harder to spot in the grid)
Our Take: A cleverly constructed puzzle that rewards players who listen to sound rather than stare at spelling. The "Oozing" theme is a smart phonetics play: all seven theme words share the same vowel sound but use wildly different letter combinations. RHYMETIME ties it together neatly. If you got stuck, try reading the words aloud.
