Solving NYT Strands #511—Why July 27’s Puzzle Hit the Mark
If you're into word games, chances are you’ve either heard of or are already addicted to the New York Times’ latest daily brain-teaser, Strands . And if you happened to tackle the puzzle for July 27, 2025—Strands #511—you’ll know just how clever and satisfying it was. Themed “That’s a good look,” this puzzle was all about examining things closely, both literally and figuratively. It wasn’t about fashion or appearances like some may have initially guessed—it actually leaned into the world of analysis and investigation.
Now, if you haven’t played Strands before, here’s a quick refresher: you’re given a grid of letters, a theme clue, and your job is to uncover all the theme-based words hidden within that grid. The real twist? You’ve got to find something called a spangram , a word that stretches from one edge of the board to the other—either vertically or horizontally—and ties the whole theme together. That spangram is the key to cracking the puzzle.
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So what was the spangram for July 27? It was ANALYSIS —a perfect word that captured the spirit of the puzzle. Once that was spotted, everything else started falling into place. The rest of the theme words— WEIGH, SURVEY, INSPECT, EXAMINE, STUDY, and SCRUTINIZE —all echoed that same idea of examining or evaluating something in depth. And just like that, a puzzle that initially hinted at “a good look” transformed into a cerebral exercise in critical thinking.
Solvers shared that certain words helped anchor the rest of the grid. For example, the “Z” at the bottom right was a dead giveaway for SCRUTINIZE , and from there, the layout of other clues became more apparent. Even though these puzzles can seem tricky at first, they’re designed so that finding one word makes the rest more intuitive—especially once the spangram is identified.
What makes Strands different from other NYT games like Wordle or Connections is its unique blend of spatial awareness and vocabulary. There’s no time limit, no fail condition, and no overlapping words—just a single clean solution that requires some clever thinking and pattern recognition.
Whether you solved it in minutes or needed a hint or two, puzzle #511 was a great example of why Strands is catching on so quickly. It's smart, it’s rewarding, and best of all—it makes you feel sharp for catching on to those “good looks” in all their analytical glory.
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