#533Monday, August 18, 2025
Strands answers for August 18, 2025 — “If the shoe fits ...” (#533)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 18, 2025 (puzzle #533) is FOOTWEAR, a 8-letter answer to the theme "If the shoe fits ...". The 6 theme words are CLOG, ESPADRILLE, LOAFER, SANDAL, SLIPPER and SNEAKER.
Where is each answer on the August 18 Strands board?
The 6 theme words for Strands on August 18, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLOG | 4 | row 6, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| ESPADRILLE | 10 | row 4, column 6 | row 3, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| LOAFER | 6 | row 8, column 4 | row 8, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| SANDAL | 6 | row 4, column 2 | row 8, column 1 | top to bottom |
| SLIPPER | 7 | row 1, column 6 | row 2, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| SNEAKER | 7 | row 2, column 2 | row 3, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| FOOTWEAR | 8 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the August 18 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for August 18, 2025 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 8 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 E-N-F-E-P-S, row 2 reads A-S-O-R-P-L, row 3 reads R-K-O-L-E-I, row 4 reads E-S-T-L-R-E, row 5 reads N-A-W-I-D-S, row 6 reads D-A-E-C-A-P, row 7 reads A-F-O-A-L-O, and row 8 reads L-R-E-L-R-G.
How hard was the August 18 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #533 comes out easy, ahead of 14% of them.
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 18 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #533 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 18 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 18, 2025?
The Strands clue for August 18, 2025 is “If the shoe fits ...”, on puzzle #533. It is answered by the spangram FOOTWEAR, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 18, 2025?
The 6 Strands theme words for August 18, 2025 are CLOG, ESPADRILLE, LOAFER, SANDAL, SLIPPER and SNEAKER, plus the spangram FOOTWEAR.
What was the big word in the August 18, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 18, 2025 is FOOTWEAR, 8 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 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 “If the shoe fits ...” mean?
The Strands theme “If the shoe fits ...” for August 18, 2025 means FOOTWEAR — 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 18, 2025?
Strands puzzle #533 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 18, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #533 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 14% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 18, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, August 18, 2025 is #533, 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.