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Special Difficulty: 7/10

NYT Strands Answer Yesterday — Sunday, July 12, 2026

Puzzle #1054 • Difficulty 7/10

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Yesterday's NYT Strands Answer

Yesterday's Strands Answers

Today's Theme

"In the Big Apple"

E
G
E
O
O
T
L
B
A
T
P
S
L
E
D
A
D
B
I
T
S
T
E
O
I
A
E
G
A
H
Y
X
R
I
G
U
A
S
U
P
R
O
W
B
E
M
O
B

Deep Dive

Theme Analysis

Theme clue: "In the Big Apple"

Theme words: 7 words to find

Total answer letters: 48 (18 unique)

Spangram Breakdown

Word: EMPIRESTATE

Length: 11 letters

Unique letters: 8 of 11

Word Statistics

Longest word: BOROUGH (7 letters)

Shortest word: DELI (4 letters)

Average length: 5.3 letters

Top Letters

E
6
A
5
O
5
B
4
T
4

Puzzle Analysis

Yesterday's NYT Strands was a tough one. The key insight was realizing that "spotted" and "dappled" were both valid entries under the "patterns" theme. This connection wasn't immediately obvious. Finding "spot" and "dapple" was the hardest part. The puzzle felt more like an 8/10 in difficulty. Several entries were obscure. The long, tricky words made it a challenge. It took a while to unscramble all the letters. The theme was well-hidden. The 7/10 rating feels a bit low for this particular game.

How to Play NYT Strands

NYT Strands presents a 6×8 grid of scrambled letters. Your goal is to find all the themed words hidden in the grid, plus a special word called the spangram.

Words are formed by connecting adjacent letters in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Letters must be connected in sequence, and each letter can only be used once per word.

The spangram is a special word that touches two opposite sides of the board and reveals the puzzle’s theme. Finding it first can help you identify the remaining words.

Use the theme clue at the top of the puzzle to figure out what all the words have in common. A new Strands puzzle is available daily.

Play at nytimes.com/games/strands. A new puzzle is available every day.

Tips & Strategy

  • Read the theme clue first. It tells you the category connecting all the hidden words. Think broadly about what words could fit.
  • Look for the spangram early. It’s usually the longest word and spans from one side of the board to the other, which helps you map out the remaining words.
  • Theme words do not overlap. Each letter in the grid belongs to one answer. Once you find some words, the remaining letters narrow down what is left.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does NYT Strands repeat past answers?
NYT Strands aims to provide a fresh challenge every day without repeating recent answers.
Where can I find all past NYT Strands answers?
This page is the complete archive of past NYT Strands answers, updated daily after each new puzzle.
How is difficulty rated?
Difficulty is rated on a 1-10 scale based on answer complexity and how many hints players typically need.

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