Strands is released at midnight in your time zone. To accommodate players around the world, we publish two Strands Sidekicks each day, based on Eastern Standard Time. If you find yourself on the wrong Sidekick, check your puzzle’s number, and go to this page to find its corresponding Sidekick post.

Strands is a tricky take on the classic word search from NYT Games. If you're stuck and cannot solve today's puzzle, we've got help and hints for you here.

When you finish one of The New York Times’ Strands puzzles, you’ll now see stats and details about your streak. I love Strands but had to break my daily habit for my own sanity, so please don’t judge me on my poor stats.

Strands Sidekick No. 509. Scroll down for hints and conversation about the puzzle for Friday, July 25, 2025. By New York Times Games