#530Friday, August 15, 2025
Strands answers for August 15, 2025 — “Labor intensive” (#530)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 15, 2025 (puzzle #530) is WHATACHORE, a 10-letter answer to the theme "Labor intensive". The 5 theme words are DISHES, GARBAGE, GROCERIES, LAUNDRY and VACUUMING.
Where is each answer on the August 15 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #530 is 5 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISHES | 6 | row 4, column 4 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| GARBAGE | 7 | row 8, column 2 | row 8, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| GROCERIES | 9 | row 7, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| LAUNDRY | 7 | row 1, column 5 | row 3, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| VACUUMING | 9 | row 5, column 2 | row 1, column 2 | bottom to top |
| WHATACHORE | 10 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 3 | top to bottom |
What did the August 15 Strands grid look like?
The grid below is six letters wide and eight rows deep, with every answer traced through the letters it uses.
Spangram — 10 letters5 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 N-G-W-H-L-A, row 2 reads M-I-T-A-D-U, row 3 reads C-U-A-Y-R-N, row 4 reads A-U-C-D-I-H, row 5 reads B-V-H-O-S-E, row 6 reads A-R-O-R-C-S, row 7 reads G-A-R-G-R-E, and row 8 reads E-G-E-I-E-S.
How hard was the August 15 Strands puzzle?
Strands #530 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 74% 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 15 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #530 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the August 15 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 15, 2025?
The Strands clue for August 15, 2025 is “Labor intensive”, on puzzle #530. It is answered by the spangram WHATACHORE, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 15, 2025?
The 5 Strands theme words for August 15, 2025 are DISHES, GARBAGE, GROCERIES, LAUNDRY and VACUUMING, plus the spangram WHATACHORE.
What was the big word in the August 15, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 15, 2025 is WHATACHORE, 10 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 to row 8, column 3. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Labor intensive” mean?
The Strands theme “Labor intensive” for August 15, 2025 means WHATACHORE — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands August 15, 2025?
Strands puzzle #530 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 15, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #530 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 74% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 15, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, August 15, 2025 is #530, 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.