NYT Strands Hints and Answers for July 6, 2026 (#855)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of July 6, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of July 6, 2026? 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 6, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
The growing season
The puzzle calls today’s theme “The growing season”. Read it loosely: the 6 answers are examples of it, not synonyms for it.
Hint 1A gentle clue
All 6 answers are examples of the theme, not synonyms for it — think of things you would actually meet, not words that mean the same. The spangram runs down the grid, top edge to bottom, so look for a long vertical path first.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, B, E, F, S, T. Two of them start with the same letter (B).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 5, 6, 6, 6, 7 and 8 letters long. The shortest is 5 letters, the longest 8.
SpangramThe spangram
SUMMERTIME
It is a single word of 10 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with S, ends with E.
AnswersAll theme words
- BLOOM5 letters
- EXPAND6 letters
- SPREAD6 letters
- THRIVE6 letters
- BURGEON7 letters
- FLOURISH8 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.