NYT Strands Hints and Answers for July 22, 2025 (#506)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of July 22, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of July 22, 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 22, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Pet store purchase
The puzzle calls today’s theme “Pet store purchase”. Read it loosely: the 7 answers are examples of it, not synonyms for it.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are F, F, P, P, R, T, T. Several share a starting letter (F, P, T).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6 and 11 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 11.
SpangramThe spangram
AQUARIUM
It is a single word of 8 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with A, ends with M.
AnswersAll theme words
- FISH4 letters
- PUMP4 letters
- TANK4 letters
- ROCKS5 letters
- FILTER6 letters
- PLANTS6 letters
- THERMOMETER11 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.