NYT Strands Hints and Answers for July 11, 2025 (#495)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of July 11, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of July 11, 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 July 11, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
It could be verse
Start from the clue “It could be verse”. Once you see what the 7 theme words have in common, the grid opens up quickly.
Hint 2First letters
The theme words begin with A, B, E, E, H, L, S. Two of them start with the same letter (E).
Hint 3Word lengths
By length, the answers run 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8 and 8. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 8.
SpangramThe spangram
POETRY
6 letters, a single word, running from one edge of the grid to the opposite edge.
Starts with P, ends with Y.
AnswersAll theme words
- EPIC4 letters
- ELEGY5 letters
- HAIKU5 letters
- BALLAD6 letters
- SONNET6 letters
- ACROSTIC8 letters
- LIMERICK8 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.