NYT Strands Answers today, June 18: Hints, Spangram, and theme for the Wednesday puzzle

Time of India

6 hours ago

A New-Age Word Game from the NYT
Today's Theme: 'Down time'
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Hint 1: The state of being deeply affected by grief or sadness.
The state of being deeply affected by grief or sadness. Hint 2: A condition of prolonged desolation or sorrow.
Spangram Clue and Location
Clue: A feeling of being unhappy.
Position: Horizontal, beginning with the letters 'SA.'
Full List of NYT Strands Today Answers – June 18, 2025
BLUE
TEARY
GLOOMY
DOLEFUL
MELANCHOLY
WOEBEGONE
Wrapping Up: Emotional Intelligence Meets Wordplay
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As word puzzle enthusiasts increasingly look beyond the likes of Wordle and Connections, The New York Times' Strands is steadily emerging as a new favourite. For solvers grappling with today's grid, the puzzle for Wednesday, June 18, 2025, comes wrapped in introspection, emotion, and a thematic twist titled 'Down Time.'From seasoned players to first-time solvers, many found today's NYT Strands challenge tricky. To assist, here are today's hints, full list of theme words, and the all-important Spangram.NYT Strands is a brain-teasing puzzle launched as part of the Times' ever-growing online games suite. The game features a six-by-eight grid of letters, with the goal being to form multiple words tied to a specific daily theme. Each puzzle includes a hidden Spangram—a special word or phrase that stretches across the grid, revealing the core idea behind the theme.Unlike traditional crossword formats, Strands encourages lateral thinking and emotional intuition. The theme for June 18, 'Down time,' is one such example that tested players' ability to connect with a mood rather than a literal idea.The phrase 'Down time' might suggest rest or relaxation on first glance, but today's puzzle cleverly pivots toward emotional depth. The answers align not with leisure, but with a more melancholic interpretation of the phrase—signaling sadness, sorrow, and related feelings.The twist here lies in interpreting the emotional connotation of 'down,' guiding solvers to pick up on melancholic vocabulary.Each day, NYT Strands includes a Spangram—a longer, often central word that helps anchor the theme. The clue for June 18's Spangram was:Solving the Spangram early is often the key to cracking the rest of the puzzle, and today's horizontal clue opened the door to the entire emotional theme.For those still puzzling over the grid, here are all the confirmed theme words for today's NYT Strands:These words, all synonymous with emotional decline or sorrow, tie directly into the 'Down time' motif. Solvers who began with easier entries like BLUE and TEARY found themselves progressing quickly through the rest of the list.Today's puzzle was less about vocabulary complexity and more about emotional literacy. The NYT Strands answers serve as a reminder that language games can tap into the full range of human feeling. With 'Sadness' anchoring the grid, players were encouraged to explore the softer, quieter corners of the English lexicon.NYT Strands is a word puzzle game by The New York Times, featuring a 6x8 letter grid. The goal is to find words linked to a daily theme, including a hidden 'Spangram' that captures the puzzle's central concept.The theme was 'Down Time'—interpreted not as relaxation, but as a metaphor for emotional downturns such as sadness or melancholy.