#518Sunday, August 3, 2025
Strands answers for August 3, 2025 — “Sorry, didn't catch that” (#518)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 3, 2025 (puzzle #518) is SPORTSGOOF, a 10-letter answer to the theme "Sorry, didn't catch that". The 7 theme words are BLOOPER, BOBBLE, ERROR, FAULT, FUMBLE, MUFF and WHIFF.
Where is each answer on the August 3 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #518 is 7 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLOOPER | 7 | row 4, column 3 | row 5, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| BOBBLE | 6 | row 7, column 6 | row 5, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| ERROR | 5 | row 1, column 6 | row 4, column 6 | top to bottom |
| FAULT | 5 | row 2, column 2 | row 4, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| FUMBLE | 6 | row 1, column 5 | row 1, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| MUFF | 4 | row 8, column 2 | row 6, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| WHIFF | 5 | row 7, column 3 | row 8, column 6 | left to right |
| SPORTSGOOF | 10 | row 5, column 1 | row 6, column 5 | left to right |
What did the August 3 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 — 10 letters7 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 A-L-E-M-F-E, row 2 reads U-F-B-U-R-R, row 3 reads L-O-R-T-S-O, row 4 reads T-P-B-L-G-R, row 5 reads S-R-O-E-L-O, row 6 reads E-O-F-B-F-O, row 7 reads P-F-W-B-O-B, and row 8 reads U-M-H-I-F-F.
How hard was the August 3 Strands puzzle?
The difficulty index rates puzzle #518 as average: it sits at the 39th percentile of every Strands grid to date.
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 3 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #518 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 3 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 3, 2025?
The Strands clue for August 3, 2025 is “Sorry, didn't catch that”, on puzzle #518. It is answered by the spangram SPORTSGOOF, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 3, 2025?
The 7 Strands theme words for August 3, 2025 are BLOOPER, BOBBLE, ERROR, FAULT, FUMBLE, MUFF and WHIFF, plus the spangram SPORTSGOOF.
What was the big word in the August 3, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 3, 2025 is SPORTSGOOF, 10 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 6, 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 “Sorry, didn't catch that” mean?
The Strands theme “Sorry, didn't catch that” for August 3, 2025 means SPORTSGOOF — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 7 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands August 3, 2025?
Strands puzzle #518 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 3, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #518 rates average on a computed index, harder than 39% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 3, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Sunday, August 3, 2025 is #518, 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.