NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 12, 2026 (#892)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of August 12, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of August 12, 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 August 12, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Making a difference
Start from the clue “Making a difference”. Once you see what the 6 theme words have in common, the grid opens up quickly.
Hint 1A gentle clue
Read the clue loosely. The 6 answers sit inside that idea; none of them is a definition of it. 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, C, D, E, G, G. Two of them start with the same letter (G).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 5, 5, 6, 6 and 10 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 10.
SpangramThe spangram
PHILANTHROPY
It is a single word of 12 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with P, ends with Y.
AnswersAll theme words
- GIVE4 letters
- ENDOW5 letters
- GRANT5 letters
- BESTOW6 letters
- DONATE6 letters
- CONTRIBUTE10 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.