#516Friday, August 1, 2025
Strands answers for August 1, 2025 — “Slithering away” (#516)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 1, 2025 (puzzle #516) is SERPENT, a 7-letter answer to the theme "Slithering away". The 7 theme words are ADDER, ANACONDA, COBRA, MAMBA, PYTHON, RATTLER and VIPER.
Where is each answer on the August 1 Strands board?
Strands #516 resolves to these 7 theme words plus the spangram SERPENT.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 8 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADDER | 5 | row 5, column 2 | row 8, column 1 | top to bottom |
| ANACONDA | 8 | row 1, column 3 | row 3, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| COBRA | 5 | row 4, column 4 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| MAMBA | 5 | row 7, column 6 | row 7, column 3 | right to left |
| PYTHON | 6 | row 8, column 4 | row 5, column 3 | bottom to top |
| RATTLER | 7 | row 1, column 5 | row 2, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| VIPER | 5 | row 4, column 1 | row 1, column 1 | bottom to top |
| SERPENT | 7 | row 5, column 1 | row 6, column 6 | left to right |
What did the August 1 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #516 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 7 letters7 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads R-E-A-N-R-A, row 2 reads P-O-C-A-R-T, row 3 reads I-N-D-A-E-T, row 4 reads V-E-R-C-L-A, row 5 reads S-A-N-P-O-R, row 6 reads D-O-H-E-B-T, row 7 reads D-T-A-B-N-M, and row 8 reads R-E-Y-P-M-A.
How hard was the August 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands #516 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 50% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the August 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #516 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the August 1 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 1, 2025?
The Strands clue for August 1, 2025 is “Slithering away”, on puzzle #516. It is answered by the spangram SERPENT, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 1, 2025?
The 7 Strands theme words for August 1, 2025 are ADDER, ANACONDA, COBRA, MAMBA, PYTHON, RATTLER and VIPER, plus the spangram SERPENT.
What was the big word in the August 1, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 1, 2025 is SERPENT, 7 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 6, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Slithering away” mean?
The Strands theme “Slithering away” for August 1, 2025 means SERPENT — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 7 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands August 1, 2025?
Strands puzzle #516 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 1, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #516 rates average on a computed index, harder than 50% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 1, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, August 1, 2025 is #516, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in August 2025, part of the full Strands archive.