NYT Strands Hints and Answers for July 21, 2025 (#505)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of July 21, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of July 21, 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 21, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
I fold!
The puzzle calls today’s theme “I fold!”. Read it loosely: the 8 answers are examples of it, not synonyms for it.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, B, C, F, F, F, H, K. Several share a starting letter (B, F).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6 and 9 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 9.
SpangramThe spangram
ORIGAMI
It is a single word of 7 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with O, ends with I.
AnswersAll theme words
- BOAT4 letters
- FISH4 letters
- FROG4 letters
- KITE4 letters
- CRANE5 letters
- HEART5 letters
- FLOWER6 letters
- BUTTERFLY9 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.