#524Saturday, August 9, 2025
Strands answers for August 9, 2025 — “Gastronomic gadgets” (#524)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 9, 2025 (puzzle #524) is KITCHENTOOL, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Gastronomic gadgets". The 6 theme words are CORKSCREW, MIXER, SIEVE, SPATULA, WHISK and ZESTER.
Where is each answer on the August 9 Strands board?
The 6 theme words for Strands on August 9, 2025 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORKSCREW | 9 | row 1, column 1 | row 5, column 1 | top to bottom |
| MIXER | 5 | row 3, column 6 | row 6, column 6 | top to bottom |
| SIEVE | 5 | row 8, column 6 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| SPATULA | 7 | row 5, column 4 | row 2, column 3 | bottom to top |
| WHISK | 5 | row 3, column 5 | row 1, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| ZESTER | 6 | row 6, column 1 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| KITCHENTOOL | 11 | row 1, column 2 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the August 9 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for August 9, 2025 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 11 letters6 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 C-K-I-T-K-S, row 2 reads R-O-A-C-H-I, row 3 reads S-K-L-H-W-M, row 4 reads R-C-U-E-X-I, row 5 reads W-E-T-S-N-E, row 6 reads Z-A-P-T-E-R, row 7 reads E-T-O-V-E-I, and row 8 reads S-E-R-O-L-S.
How hard was the August 9 Strands puzzle?
Measured against the full archive, the August 9, 2025 puzzle lands in the above average range — above 60% of all Strands puzzles.
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 9 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #524 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 9 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 9, 2025?
The Strands clue for August 9, 2025 is “Gastronomic gadgets”, on puzzle #524. It is answered by the spangram KITCHENTOOL, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 9, 2025?
The 6 Strands theme words for August 9, 2025 are CORKSCREW, MIXER, SIEVE, SPATULA, WHISK and ZESTER, plus the spangram KITCHENTOOL.
What was the big word in the August 9, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 9, 2025 is KITCHENTOOL, 11 letters long, running from row 1, column 2 to row 8, column 5. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Gastronomic gadgets” mean?
The Strands theme “Gastronomic gadgets” for August 9, 2025 means KITCHENTOOL — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands August 9, 2025?
Strands puzzle #524 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 9, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #524 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 60% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 9, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, August 9, 2025 is #524, 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.