NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 18, 2026 (#898)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of August 18, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of August 18, 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 18, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Fool me once ...
The puzzle calls today’s theme “Fool me once ...”. 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, D, D, H, M. Several share a starting letter (B, D).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 7, 7, 8 and 9 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 9.
SpangramThe spangram
CHARLATAN
It is a single word of 9 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with C, ends with N.
AnswersAll theme words
- BILK4 letters
- DUPE4 letters
- DECEIVE7 letters
- MISLEAD7 letters
- HOODWINK8 letters
- BAMBOOZLE9 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.