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The New York Times GamesStrandspuzzle is at it again, teasing your brain with its letter grid full of hidden words. Today’s challenge dares you to uncover words tied together by a sneaky theme while using every single letter just once. Even if you think you have cracked it, you’ll still need to find all the themed words hidden inside the grid.
As long as you are already familiar with the rules ofhow to playStrands, this article has everything you need to win today’s puzzle. Whether you want subtle nudges, word spoilers, or the whole solution mapped out, this guide’s got the goods to turn your frustration into a win.
The NYT Games Strands Shine On #395 July 17, 2025
TheStrandspuzzle for today has the clueShine On. It has seven things to find: the Spangram and six themed words.
NYT Strands Spangram Tips and Theme Hints
Searching for some spoiler-free help? In the three sections below, you’ll see one little clue for the theme that won’t contain any of the words that appear inside the puzzle itself.
General Spangram Hint 1
Hint 1: What are some things that are usually described as shining?
Hint 3: Synonyms for shining.
Spoilers for Today’s New York Times Strands
If a spoiler or two would be helpful for you in thispuzzle game that can make you smarter, you can find two below. Open the two expandable sections below for two different spoilers.
Word 2: Gleam
The Answer to the NYT Shine On Strands
If you want to see the answer to thisinnovative puzzle game, you can find it below. This expandable section contains all the themed words and where they go in the puzzle’s letter grid.
The category for today isStar Power. The words are Twinkle, Shimmer, Gleam, Radiate, Dazzle, and Sparkle.
Today’s Strands Explained
If you want to see how all the pieces of thisdifficult puzzle gamego together, you can find all that information below. This explanation will inform you about what the clue, the Spangram, and the words all have in common.
The clue for this one isShine Onbecause all these words are things stars do with theirStar Powers. Each themed word is a synonym of “shine.”
Want to play? Check out theNew York Times Games Strandswebsite available on almost any device with a browser.
