NYT Strands Hints and Answers for June 18, 2025 (#472)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of June 18, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of June 18, 2025? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for June 18, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Down time
Today’s theme is “Down time”. All 6 theme words fit that idea — and the spangram names it outright.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, D, G, M, T, W.
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 10.
SpangramThe spangram
SADNESS
It is a single word of 7 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with S, ends with S.
AnswersAll theme words
- BLUE4 letters
- TEARY5 letters
- GLOOMY6 letters
- DOLEFUL7 letters
- WOEBEGONE9 letters
- MELANCHOLY10 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.