
NYT Strands Answers for August 17, 2025: Theme, Hints
If today’s Strands puzzle for Sunday, August 17, 2025 has you stumped, you’re in the right place. Below you’ll find the theme, helpful hints, the crucial spangram, and all theme words to complete this creative challenge.
How NYT Strands Works
- Connect letters in a 6×8 grid to spell theme-related words.
- Find the spangram—a special word or phrase that spans the grid and captures the puzzle’s central idea.
- Every letter is used exactly once across all words.
August 17, 2025: Theme and Hints
- Theme Clue: “Think again!”
- Extra Hint: Focus on qualities of the emotional and creative side of the brain—the right hemisphere.
Sample Theme Word Hints:
- The ability to understand something instinctively, without conscious reasoning.
- The state of being impulsive or doing what feels natural.
Today’s Strands Spangram
- Spangram (vertical, starts with “RI”):
RIGHTBRAIN
This is the perfect follow-up to yesterday’s “LEFTBRAIN”—today’s puzzle focuses on the artistic, emotional hemisphere.
All Theme Answers for Today’s Strands
- FEELINGS
- CREATIVITY
- INTUITION
- SPONTANEITY
Each word represents characteristics associated with right-brain thinking—emotion, artistry, and instinctive responses.
Strategy Note
This puzzle is a clever continuation of yesterday’s left-brain theme. If you solved yesterday’s puzzle about logic and analysis, today flips the script to focus on the creative, intuitive side of thinking. Notice how the themes complement each other perfectly!
Puzzle-Solving Tips
- Start at the grid corners—spangrams rarely run diagonally.
- Don’t hesitate to use hints if you get stuck on one theme word.
- Think both literally and figuratively about the theme.
- Finding the spangram early often unlocks the rest of the puzzle.
Keep your NYT puzzle streak alive with our daily Wordle, Connections, Strands, and Mini Crossword guides. Bookmark for quick, reliable solutions every morning!
See you tomorrow for another brain-teasing challenge!


