NYT Strands Tips and Answers for Sunday, July 19 (Game #868)

Strands is the latest pun from The New York Times after Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s a lot of fun. It can be difficult, though, so keep reading my Strands tips.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections Today and Quordle Today pages for tips and answers on these games, as well as Marc’s Wordle Today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: The information on NYT Strands today is below, so don’t continue reading if you don’t want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #868) – clue #1 – theme of the day

NYT Strands today (game #868) – clue #2 – clue words

Play one of these words to unlock the game’s hint system.

• NAVIGATE
• NAIL
• HAIL
• THEME
• MOVE
• COST

NYT Strands today (game #868) – clue #3 – spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #868) – clue #4 – spangram position

That’s right, the answers are below, so DON’T SCROLL FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #868) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #868, are…

• GIANT
• MAMMOTH
• COLOSSUS
• MONSTER
• LEVIATHAN
• SPANGRAM: SUPERSIZEIT

• My rating: Easy
• My rating: Perfect

The letter Z helped me get the spangram – eventually, because I first got “size”, then “supersize” before finally SUPERSIZEIT.

Although I immediately understood the theme and had an idea of ​​the words we were looking for, I really struggled to put them together.

Although rarely used, LEVIATHAN is an incredible word (it appears in the Bible to describe a fire-breathing sea serpent).

I thought it should really be the name of a horror or at least a wrestler when a Google search told me both already existed; the 1989 horror film had less cultural impact than Dave Batista, who used the nickname Leviathan before becoming The Animal. Every day is a school day with Strands.

Yesterday’s NYT Strands Answers (Saturday July 18, Match #867)

• SOFT
• OATY
• NUT
• CRISP
• DIRTY
• HEALTHY
• SPANGRAM: BOWL OF GRANOLA

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. Previously known as Pop Detective, his journalistic career began by making up stories about Madonna’s addiction to sausage rolls (not true, by the way). A man of little talent, his career is rich and varied and includes interviews with Elton John and Blur; and the downside of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing in a Channel 5 documentary on Peter Kay and fact-checking a German cook’s instruction manual. Somehow, still having the means to live in north London, he is happiest riding his bike and shouting at pigeons.