Today's NYT Strands hints and answer: solutions to game #874, July 25

NYT Strands on a cellphone
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Need a bit of help with NYT Strands today? No shame in that, and you've come to the right place. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #874 as well as the answers, should it come to that.

We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #874, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #874.

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Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints

The official theme for NYT Strands #874 is... "Frocks and smocks."

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Dress to impress".

If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:

  • TELL
  • PAIN
  • PIANO
  • WINK
  • PLUM
  • PUMA
  • NOTE
  • FROWN
  • FINE

Still struggling? The spangram touches two opposite sides of the board (but can start and end anywhere), and will give you a hint about the connection between the answers. Today, it starts with 'Y' and ends with 'L'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...


It's YOUWEARITWELL.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #874?

Drumroll, please...

  • GOWN
  • KIMONO
  • MUUMUU
  • TUNIC
  • DIRNDL
  • PINAFORE

Strands #874

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was YOUWEARITWELL.

Strands #874

“Frocks and smocks”

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Hi Strands fans. A nice and easy one today, as long as you know your clothing.

I don't especially, but was still able to muddle through. I found GOWN on the right-hand side, with KIMONO below it.

I then spotted MUUMUU in the bottom-left corner, which isolated "itwell" between my answers. I followed it backwards to spell the spangram of YOUWEARITWELL.

That cornered off TUNIC in the top-right corner, leaving me two answers to find in the left segment.

DIRNDL was spelt in a line down the left-hand side, which just left PINAFORE to its right to complete the puzzle.

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Strands answers for game #873.

Strands #873

(Image credit: Alan Martin)
  • EXCESS
  • EXTRA
  • SPARE
  • UNUSED
  • SURPLUS
  • LEFTOVER

...and the spangram was ANDTHENSOME.

Strands #873

“There's more where that came from”

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Hi Strands fans. I would have struggled today, were it not for two 'X's guiding me to my first pair of answers.

The one in the bottom-right corner was EXCESS. The one further up was EXTRA. When combined with the theme of "There's more where that came from", it was pretty clear this was a puzzle about having more of something than necessary.

SPARE was spelt out backwards down the left-hand side, and my three answers cordoned in a fourth: UNUSED in the bottom-left corner.

I then spotted the spangram. It was ANDTHENSOME across two diagonal lines above my existing answers.

Two words were left to find in the top section. SURPLUS was in the top-right corner, and that just left LEFTOVER next to it to complete the puzzle.

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.