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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “It's a banner day”, June 14, 2025

Stuck on the June 14, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “It's a banner day” puzzle (Strands #162 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 June 14, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the June 14, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “It's a banner day”. 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 “It's a banner day” puzzle is 10 letters long and starts with the letter F. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the June 14, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 7 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the June 14, 2025 NYT Strands “It's a banner day” puzzle is FLAGSYMBOL. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 7 theme words for the June 14, 2025 NYT Strands “It's a banner day” puzzle:

  • CROSS
  • CROWN
  • MOON
  • SHIELD
  • STAR
  • STRIPE
  • TRIANGLE

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

Answers for the June 14, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "It's a banner day" NYT Strands puzzle

"It's a banner day" is the kind of Strands theme that makes you smile once you figure it out. The phrase works on two levels, and the spangram clarifies which one the puzzle is actually about. This arts & culture puzzle is built around wordplay, so approach the grid with an open mind — the theme words might not be what you first expect from reading the title alone.

At 7 theme words, this is one of the denser puzzles in the archive. The grid is packed, so words will be closer together. The 10-letter spangram is notably long, consuming a good chunk of the grid's 48 letters. Its size makes it easier to find if you focus on the grid's edges. Originally published on a Saturday, As puzzle #162 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#162
Puzzle Number
7
Theme Words
10
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "It's a banner day"

  • This theme contains wordplay — don't take it at face value. Think about alternative meanings and which interpretation the hidden words might support.
  • With 7 theme words and a long spangram, nearly every letter in the grid belongs to a word. Start with the spangram — it uses many letters and opens up the board significantly.
  • Every single letter in the grid belongs to exactly one word. If you've found most theme words, the remaining letters must spell out what's left — use process of elimination.
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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.