NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, July 4 (game #488) – 1v1 Video Chat & LIve Streaming & Influencer Subscription

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, July 4 (game #488)

Johnny Dee

Contributions from
Marc McLaren

3 July 2025

My clues will help you solve the NYT’s Strands today and keep that streak going

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(Image credit: New York Times)

Hint #1: Today’s theme

Hint #2: Clue words

Hint #3: Spangram letters

Hint #4: Spangram position

Today’s answers

Yesterday’s answers

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Thursday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, July 3 (game #487).
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 20 (game #474)

NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #486)

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 27 (game #481)

NYT Strands today (game #488) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… … Let’s have a picnic!
NYT Strands today (game #488) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

NYT Strands today (game #488) – hint #3 – spangram letters
How many letters are in today’s spangram?
• Spangram has 8 letters
NYT Strands today (game #488) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First side: top, 4th column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Today’s best Get Better At Wordle deals

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NYT Strands today (game #488) – the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Strands, game #488, are…

SPANGRAM: BARBECUE

My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect

I roared through today’s word search at rapid speed. Most likely because I’m hungry and I’d love a BURGER – not one from a BARBECUE, though. In my experience that’s a bad idea. But also because there was little to challenge us here beyond the twisty-turny WATERMELON.

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It may be different in the United States, where people who don’t usually cook have more opportunities to practice burning meat, but in the UK a barbecue is a rare event that usually results in some form of drama caused by drinking in the sunshine alongside a long list of food hygiene infringements.
Again, most likely different in other parts of the world, but the traditional British barbecued burger is burnt to a crisp on the outside and raw, bordering on still frozen, on the inside – and served on a bun that is chemically closer to rubber than bread. Strangely, I don’t feel hungry anymore.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Thursday, July 3, game #487)

BUTTERSCOTCH

SPANGRAM: ICE CREAM

What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.

See more Computing News

Contributor

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna’s addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.
With contributions from

Marc McLarenGlobal Editor in Chief

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 20 (game #474)

NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #486)

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 27 (game #481)

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, May 5 (game #428)

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 21 (game #475)

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, June 2 (game #456)

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