Looking for a little help solving today’s NYT Strands puzzle? You’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ll guide you through the theme, spangram, and answers for Strands #472, dated Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The theme is “Down time,” and if you’re stuck, our gentle hints will help you reach that satisfying “aha!” moment without spoiling everything right away.
Let’s dive into today’s puzzle.
Puzzle Theme: “Down time”
The title might make you think of relaxation or vacation—but that’s not quite it. If you read between the lines, you’ll find a deeper emotional cue behind the phrase. That’s where today’s Strands puzzle takes a clever turn.
Also read: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Clues and Answers for June 18, 2025
Hint for the Spangram:
Think of the name of a blue character from the Pixar movie Inside Out. Yes, the one who cries a lot.
Hint for Theme Words:
If the title “Down time” makes you feel a little sad, you’re on the right track. The theme words are all synonyms for sadness or reflect an emotional low.
Warning: Spoilers ahead! If you want to solve it yourself, stop here.
Today’s Spangram:
🔶 SADNESS
This spangram runs through the board, touching nearly every part of the emotional spectrum tied to feeling “down.” It unlocks the theme perfectly once you find it.
Today’s Theme Words:
🔹 MELANCHOLY
🔹 WOEBEGONE
🔹 GLOOMY
🔹 TEAR
🔹 BLUE
🔹 DOLEFUL
That’s six words plus the spangram, covering every shade of sorrow in the dictionary!
Related:
How I Solved Today’s Strands:
At first glance, the theme “Down time” had me fooled. I thought of naps, breaks, and cozy afternoons. Words like WOOL, BOWL, and HOLY popped out—but none of them clicked with the theme.
Then I spotted GLOOMY hiding in the bottom right. That changed everything.
Realizing that “Down” wasn’t about rest, but emotionally down, I immediately looked for the spangram and found SADNESS crossing the center. From there, the rest came into focus.
TEAR was nestled just above GLOOMY, followed by DOLEFUL and the long, winding MELANCHOLY across the top. The nearly-forgotten word WOEBEGONE appeared just below it, and BLUE was waiting quietly in the middle row.
A clean solve, but only once I embraced the theme’s emotional depth.
NYT Strands #472 Summary:
- Theme: Down time
- Spangram: SADNESS
- Theme words: MELANCHOLY, WOEBEGONE, GLOOMY, TEAR, BLUE, DOLEFUL
How to Play Strands:
NYT Strands is a blend of word search and themed puzzle-solving. Each day, you get a clue to a central theme, and your goal is to find all related words hidden within a grid of letters. One of those words is the spangram, which spans the board from one end to another and often encapsulates the puzzle’s overall theme.
Words can run horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and even twist through the grid. Each letter can only be used once per word.
If you’re stuck, you can type in any real word with four or more letters. Three such entries earn you a hint, which highlights the correct letters of one of the theme words—but you still have to arrange them in the right order.
Also read: NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Wednesday, June 18
Final Thoughts:
The Strands puzzle for June 18, 2025, was a beautifully crafted word game that leaned heavily into emotion. By reframing “Down time” to mean emotional downturn, today’s puzzle challenged players to think differently—and more deeply.
Keep playing, keep guessing, and don’t forget to bookmark this page for daily Strands hints and answers.
Happy puzzling! 🧠
