#527Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Strands answers for August 12, 2025 — “Spitting image” (#527)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 12, 2025 (puzzle #527) is COPYTHAT, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Spitting image". The 5 theme words are DOUBLE, DUPLICATE, FACSIMILE, LOOKALIKE and REPLICA.
Where is each answer on the August 12 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #527 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOUBLE | 6 | row 7, column 5 | row 5, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| DUPLICATE | 9 | row 2, column 5 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| FACSIMILE | 9 | row 5, column 3 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| LOOKALIKE | 9 | row 1, column 3 | row 2, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| REPLICA | 7 | row 5, column 2 | row 8, column 1 | top to bottom |
| COPYTHAT | 8 | row 4, column 1 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the August 12 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 — 8 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 O-O-L-U-T-E, row 2 reads K-E-K-P-D-A, row 3 reads A-L-I-L-I-C, row 4 reads C-O-P-Y-T-H, row 5 reads E-R-F-E-L-A, row 6 reads P-L-A-C-B-T, row 7 reads C-I-E-S-D-U, and row 8 reads A-L-I-M-I-O.
How hard was the August 12 Strands puzzle?
Strands #527 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 12 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #527 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 12 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 12, 2025?
The Strands clue for August 12, 2025 is “Spitting image”, on puzzle #527. It is answered by the spangram COPYTHAT, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 12, 2025?
The 5 Strands theme words for August 12, 2025 are DOUBLE, DUPLICATE, FACSIMILE, LOOKALIKE and REPLICA, plus the spangram COPYTHAT.
What was the big word in the August 12, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 12, 2025 is COPYTHAT, 8 letters long, running from row 4, 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 “Spitting image” mean?
The Strands theme “Spitting image” for August 12, 2025 means COPYTHAT — 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 12, 2025?
Strands puzzle #527 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 12, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #527 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 12, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 is #527, 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.