NYT Strands today – my hints and answers for July 22 (#506)
Looking for a different day?
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, July 21 (game #505).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #506) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Pet store purchase
NYT Strands today (game #506) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
TIRE
QUOTA
PURE
SLAP
TUSK
TRIP
NYT Strands today (game #506) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 8 letters
NYT Strands today (game #506) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: top, 4th column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #506) - the answers
The answers to today's Strands, game #506, are…
FISH
PUMP
ROCKS
TANK
FILTER
PLANTS
THERMOMETER
SPANGRAM: AQUARIUM
My rating: Hard
My score: Perfect
It always amazes me how well words are hidden within Strands. THERMOMETER, for example, is a pretty long word – but I was totally oblivious to its existence, hanging around in the bottom right-hand corner, until the very end of my game.
When I first started looking I thought that we were searching for animals you might buy at a pet shop, so after getting FISH I was searching in vain for dogs, cats, hamsters… Then after getting PUMP I joined the dots and found a home for the letter Q.
An AQUARIUM must surely rank as one of the most neglected items in western homes – second perhaps to exercise bikes, purchased with grand plans of creating an exotic world filled with beautiful fish but then abandoned as they all eat each other and you realize fish aren't as beautiful as you first thought.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, July 21, game #505)
KITE
FROG
FISH
CRANE
BUTTERFLY
SPANGRAM: ORIGAMI
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.
Solve the daily Crossword

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
19 minutes ago
- USA Today
Wordle hint today: Clues for July 28 2025 NYT puzzle #1500
WARNING: THERE ARE WORDLE SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT THE JULY 28, 2025 WORDLE ANSWER SPOILED FOR YOU. Ready? OK. We've seen some hard Wordle words over the years and if you're here, you're probably struggling with today's and are looking for some help. So let's run down a few clues with today's Wordle that could help you solve it: 1. It has one vowel. 2. One consonant appears twice. 3. It's associated with being shrewd. And the answer to today's Wordle is below this photo: It's ... SAVVY. While you're here, some more Wordle advice: How do I play Wordle? Go to this link from the New York Times and start guessing words. What are the best Wordle starting words? That's a topic we've covered a bunch here. According to the Times' WordleBot, the best starting word is: CRANE. Others that I've seen include ADIEU, STARE and ROAST. Play more word games Looking for more word games?
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Star Trek' Star Steps Out With 25-Year-Old Fiancée After Viral Engagement Reveal
'Star Trek' Star Steps Out With 25-Year-Old Fiancée After Viral Engagement Reveal originally appeared on Parade. is continuing the engagement celebrations at San Diego Comic-Con! The 42-year-old Star Trek actor coupled up with his fiancée, model Natalie Kuckenburg, at the CBS Studios SDCC Cocktail Reception on Saturday night (July 26) — just a week after announcing their engagement. At the event, the pair posed for photos on the red carpet and later snapped a few pics with friends in a photo booth. Kuckenburg even shared a series of photos with Wesley's Star Trek: Strange New Worldsco-star Christina Chong and Ethan Peck. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Wesley and Kuckenburg shared the happy news about their engagement earlier this month while on a romantic Italian getaway. Kuckenburg later revealed that Wesley proposed at Castello di Casole, the hotel where they stayed on their very first vacation together. "Paul and me came to this hotel 3 years ago for our very first trip together and immediately fell in love with the place. A charming little town, the most beautiful views of amalfi, amazing hospitality, cute street cats… the list goes on," Kuckenburg wrote in an Instagram post. She continued, "Thank you @belmondhotelcaruso for now being part of our story together forever 💍" The couple first went public with their relationship back in 2023. Wesley and Kuckenburg haven't shared exactly how they met but they have been linked since 2022, around the time that Wesley split with ex-wife Ines de Ramon. While they have kept details of their romance relatively private, Wesley has shared that Kuckenburg is one of the funniest people in his life. 'There's two people that are the funniest people in my life — Number one, my dog, and number two, frankly, my girlfriend," Wesley shared during an interview with PEOPLE. "I think the reason we get along so well is because all we do is laugh and I think it's probably one of the most important things in a relationship." 'Star Trek' Star Steps Out With 25-Year-Old Fiancée After Viral Engagement Reveal first appeared on Parade on Jul 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Sopranos' Star, 73, Makes Heartbreaking Admission About His Mental Health
'Sopranos' Star, 73, Makes Heartbreaking Admission About His Mental Health originally appeared on Parade. Joe Pantoliano, best known for his Emmy-winning role as Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, has candidly shared his decade-long struggle with clinical depression — a battle that nearly wrecked his marriage and life. At 73, Pantoliano revealed he suffered from depression for over 10 years before receiving a formal diagnosis in 2007. During his darkest moments, he admitted to self-medicating through what he calls his 'seven deadly symptoms' 'Alcohol, what was available, women, you know, risky behavior, act first and then ask questions second,' he explained to Page Sixat the off-Broadway opening of Ginger Twinsies on Thursday, July 24. The Goonies star confessed that he saw himself as 'a mess for a long time.' He traces much of his mental health challenges back to a turbulent childhood with his mother, who also struggled with mental illness. 'My wife Nancy Sheppard and my kids were ready to throw me out,' Pantoliano recalled. 'The only people who were happy to see me weren't people. They were my dogs.' He credited his pets with saving his life, saying they were 'the only spark that was left in me.' He then likened himself to Tinkerbell, whose "light" was fading. Since his diagnosis, Pantoliano has taken steps to raise awareness around mental health. He wrote two books addressing his depression and, in 2009, founded the organization 'No Kidding, Me Too!,' dedicated to removing the stigma associated with mental illness. 'We've done such a great job,' he explained. "Our mission for 'No Kidding, Me Too!' was to make the discussion of mental disease cool and trendy." 'And we've succeeded,' he quipped. 'You can't get them to shut up now!' Fans know Pantoliano best as Ralph Cifaretto, the sarcastic and volatile mobster on The Sopranos, where he starred alongside James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli and Lorraine Bracco. His unforgettable performance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. 'Sopranos' Star, 73, Makes Heartbreaking Admission About His Mental Health first appeared on Parade on Jul 28, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword