July 9 NYT Strands Hints: Sticky Business

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Today’s board was… tricky. But fun. Short words, mostly. Which means unscrambling is faster. Less brain fog. Unless you’re stuck.

Need a break from the mechanics? The rules are deep-dive material elsewhere. But here’s the gist. Find the hidden gems. Fit the theme.

“On the lips” is the vibe today.

If that’s too abstract. Think smooches. Lip stuff.

Unlocking Hints

You want hints? Strands won’t just give them up. Not without payment in labor. Find any four-letter words. Do this three times. Pop. A theme word appears.

Useless? No. Efficient.

I used these to crack the code. You don’t need to memorize them. Any four-letter word works.

KISS, TICK, SLAT.
SLOG, DOGS.
SAND. MADS.

Just get those letters locked. The game rewards motion.

The Answers

The theme words are the real prize. The spangram too—the big word stretching edge-to-edge. How many total answers? It varies. Eight? Maybe. Today had seven non-spangram words. When they’re all in, the board is clean. No stray letters left.

Here is what you missed. Or what you finally found.

  • STICK
  • STAIN
  • BALM
  • TINT
  • GLOSS
  • LINER
  • PLUMPER

Makeup items. Lip things. Fits the clue, right?

“Stuff for smooching.”

The spangram is the final boss. Once the smaller words snap into place, it usually reveals itself. It runs horizontal. Usually.

Did you get it all? Probably not in one sitting. Who does? That’s part of the charm. The board clears. The day ends.

What’s tomorrow? Who knows.