A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight in each time zone, so some players are always doing “today’s” puzzle while others are a day behind. If you want to avoid spoilers, stop reading now — answers and hints follow.
Theme
– Today’s NYT Strands (game #526) theme: Find the remainder
Clue words (use any of these in-game to unlock hints)
– MEAN
– LEFT
– DIVERS
– GIVE
– VOTES
– CAST
Spangram details
– Spangram length: 9 letters
– Spangram touches: bottom, 3rd column and top, 3rd column
Answers (game #526)
– DREGS
– SOUVENIR
– TRACE
– RESIDUE
– VESTIGE
– REMNANT
– SPANGRAM: LEFTOVERS
Difficulty and notes
– My rating: Hard
– Hints used: 1
Commentary and explanation
– The theme “Find the remainder” ties the answers together: most entries are synonyms for what’s left behind or remaining (dregs, residue, vestige, remnant). The spangram LEFTOVERS neatly sums the theme.
– SOUVENIR feels like the odd one out at first because it usually has positive connotations — a keepsake from a trip — but many people accumulate unwanted souvenirs, so it can plausibly fit the broader idea of things left over.
– Finding a spangram early can speed the solve because it reveals many letters and suggests the angle of the puzzle; in this game discovering LEFTOVERS first likely pointed players toward synonyms and related words.
Tips for solving Strands
– Try to spot thematic connections early; once you recognize a theme, you can target synonyms and related words.
– Use the shown clue words to trigger in-game hints if you’re stuck — they’re designed to nudge you toward the intended answers.
– Look for common prefixes/suffixes and word stems when letters cluster together; that often reveals shorter answers.
– If you find a spangram, use it as a roadmap — the letters you uncover will often point straight to theme words.
Related context
– Yesterday’s NYT Strands (game #525) answers: LUAU, BLOWOUT, SHINDIG, HOEDOWN, JAMBOREE, WINGDING — SPANGRAM: PARTIES.
– If you enjoy Strands, you might also like other NYT word games such as Wordle, Connections and Spelling Bee.
Short summary
– Game #526’s theme was centered on remnants and things left behind; the spangram LEFTOVERS and answers like DREGS, RESIDUE and REMNANT reflected that theme. The puzzle was rated hard by this solver, and one hint was used.
Hopeful note
– Even tough puzzles are satisfying to crack — spotting the theme or a spangram can make the rest click quickly. Keep playing; the variety of themes keeps Strands fresh and rewarding.
Additional suggestions for the WordPress post
– Include a spoiler toggle so readers can reveal answers only if they want to.
– Tag the post with relevant game names (Strands, NYT, word games) and add a brief author note about difficulty to help readers choose whether to peek.
– Encourage readers to share their favorite strategies or whether they agreed that SOUVENIR fit the theme.