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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “In the circle of life”, March 26, 2025

Stuck on the March 26, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “In the circle of life” puzzle (Strands #85 of 509 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the March 26, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the March 26, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “In the circle of life”. Every theme word and the spangram connects back to this phrase, so think about what related words might fit a 6×8 grid of 48 letters before you start scanning.

Hint 2: Spangram length and first letterReveal

The spangram for the “In the circle of life” puzzle is 8 letters long and starts with the letter L. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the March 26, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 6 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the March 26, 2025 NYT Strands “In the circle of life” puzzle is LIONKING. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 6 theme words for the March 26, 2025 NYT Strands “In the circle of life” puzzle:

  • ELEPHANT
  • HORNBILL
  • HYENA
  • MEERKAT
  • WARTHOG
  • ZEBRA

Plus the spangram LIONKING, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.

Answers for the March 26, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "In the circle of life" NYT Strands puzzle

The theme "In the circle of life" plays with language in a way that's typical of the best Strands puzzles. There's likely a double meaning or clever twist embedded in this phrase — and the spangram reveals which interpretation the puzzle maker intended. This work & business puzzle rewards lateral thinking. Don't just take the theme at face value; consider what else the words could mean when read a different way.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. With 8 letters, the spangram is mid-length — long enough to stand out in the grid but still requiring careful scanning to trace from edge to edge. Originally published on a Wednesday, Puzzle #85 is from the early days of the Strands archive — one of the original puzzles that established the game's style.

#85
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
8
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "In the circle of life"

  • This theme contains wordplay — don't take it at face value. Think about alternative meanings and which interpretation the hidden words might support.
  • Start by scanning the grid edges for the spangram — it must connect two opposite sides. Once you find it, the theme becomes clear and the remaining words are easier to spot.
  • Longer words are often easier to find first because they have more distinctive letter sequences. Save short 4-5 letter words for last when the grid is more open.
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Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive of past Strands puzzles. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. NYT Strands is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Today's daily puzzle is free at nytimes.com/games/strands.