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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Down time”, June 18, 2025

Stuck on the June 18, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Down time” puzzle (Strands #166 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 18, 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 18, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Down time”. 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 “Down time” puzzle is 7 letters long and starts with the letter S. 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 18, 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 June 18, 2025 NYT Strands “Down time” puzzle is SADNESS. 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 June 18, 2025 NYT Strands “Down time” puzzle:

  • BLUE
  • DOLEFUL
  • GLOOMY
  • MELANCHOLY
  • TEARY
  • WOEBEGONE

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

Answers for the June 18, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Down time" NYT Strands puzzle

"Down time" — a theme that invites you to explore a specific concept through the lens of this Strands puzzle. The phrase describes a mood, setting, or idea, and every theme word hidden in the 6×8 grid belongs to that same world. This general puzzle uses its descriptive title to guide your intuition. Start by brainstorming words that come to mind when you read the theme, then look for them on the board.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. The 7-letter spangram is on the shorter side, which can actually make it harder to spot — shorter words have fewer distinctive letter patterns to latch onto. Originally published on a Wednesday, As puzzle #166 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#166
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
7
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Down time"

  • The theme paints a picture. Brainstorm 5-10 words that come to mind when you read it, then scan the grid for those words or close variants.
  • 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.
  • Work from the corners of the grid — corner letters have fewer possible neighboring connections, which limits where words can go and makes them easier to trace.
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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.