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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Goose eggs”, June 21, 2025

Stuck on the June 21, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Goose eggs” puzzle (Strands #169 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 21, 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 21, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Goose eggs”. 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 “Goose eggs” puzzle is 11 letters long and starts with the letter D. 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 21, 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 21, 2025 NYT Strands “Goose eggs” puzzle is DIDDLYSQUAT. 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 21, 2025 NYT Strands “Goose eggs” puzzle:

  • BUPKIS
  • NADA
  • NAUGHT
  • NOTHING
  • ZERO
  • ZILCH
  • ZIPPO

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

Answers for the June 21, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Goose eggs" NYT Strands puzzle

This puzzle is themed "Goose eggs", a descriptive phrase that captures the essence of what you're searching for. In Strands, descriptive themes give you a broad direction without being too specific — the fun is in discovering exactly which general words the puzzle maker chose to represent the idea. The spangram will name the core concept, and the theme words are its supporting cast.

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 11-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 #169 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#169
Puzzle Number
7
Theme Words
11
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "Goose eggs"

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Try reading the grid edges clockwise. The spangram's first and last letters will be on opposite edges, and edge letters are the fastest way to identify spangram candidates.
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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.