NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, July 18 (game #502)

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

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
(Image credit: New York Times)
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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 17 (game #501).

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.

NYT Strands today (game #502) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Abracadabra!

NYT Strands today (game #502) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • SORE
  • VILE
  • SPITE
  • SAILED
  • SLIP
  • CAMP

NYT Strands today (game #502) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #502) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 1st row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #502) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 502 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #502, are…

  • ESCAPE
  • LEVITATE
  • MULTIPLY
  • DISAPPEAR
  • TRANSFORM
  • SPANGRAM: ITS MAGIC
  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 2 hints

I found today’s search incredibly hard. And that’s despite the fact that the very first word I saw on the board was magic (it took me a little bit longer to spot ITS MAGIC).

Ever since Penn & Teller and more recently David Blaine, magic has changed from sheer wonder to curiosity over how a trick is done – we are far less likely to accept that some supernatural power is at play than previous generations, or to accept the mystery.

Because of this I struggled to think of any words that could be connected to magic. And then when I did take a hint and the letters were highlighted I struggled to find words within the twists and turns. Had Strands made them DISAPPEAR somehow? 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, July 17, game #501)

  • BOXES
  • MEZZANINE
  • LOBBY
  • BALCONY
  • WINGS
  • ORCHESTRA
  • SPANGRAM: THEATERS

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.

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Johnny Dee
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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.

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