NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 27, 2025 (#542)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of August 27, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of August 27, 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 August 27, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Go with the flow
Start from the clue “Go with the flow”. Once you see what the 7 theme words have in common, the grid opens up quickly.
Hint 2First letters
The theme words begin with B, H, L, L, O, P, S. Two of them start with the same letter (L).
Hint 3Word lengths
By length, the answers run 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6 and 6. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 6.
SpangramThe spangram
BODIESOFWATER
13 letters, a single word, running from one edge of the grid to the opposite edge.
Starts with B, ends with R.
AnswersAll theme words
- LAKE4 letters
- POND4 letters
- BAYOU5 letters
- OCEAN5 letters
- SWAMP5 letters
- HARBOR6 letters
- LAGOON6 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.