Unlocking Today’s NYT Strands: August 20, 2025, Puzzle Analysis

The NYT Strands puzzle, a recent addition to the New York Times’ gaming portfolio, presents a daily challenge centered around a specific theme. Players must decipher the grid, identifying all the concealed words, including the Spangram, a key phrase that defines the puzzle’s core concept. The New York Times has a long history of puzzle innovation, beginning with the introduction of crossword puzzles in 1942 and expanding to include games such as Mini Crossword, Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles, Wordle, Connections, and Strands. The theme for the Strands puzzle today, August 20, 2025, is ‘Mint condition’. Hints are provided to assist in solving the puzzle. The Spangram hint directs players toward money that is recognized and traded internationally. Further clues suggest looking for the common currency used by the European Union and the official currency of India and neighboring countries. The solved words for the puzzle are: EURO, RUPEE, DOLLAR, POUND, RAND, PESO, and KWANZA. The Spangram for today is ‘GlobalCurrency’. To play Strands, a game combining elements of Connections, Spelling Bee, and crossword puzzles, players are given a grid with letters and a daily theme. The gameplay involves connecting letters on the grid to create words, with the aim of identifying the Spangram and all the themed words. Players can connect letters horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Tips for solving the puzzle include uncovering the theme words (marked in blue) and identifying the Spangram (marked in yellow). Players can also use hints that appear after revealing a certain number of non-theme words.