#884Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Strands answers for August 4, 2026: “Staying healthy” (#884)
Spoilers below: this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 4, 2026 (puzzle #884) is PHARMACY, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Staying healthy". The 5 theme words are CONSULT, COUNTER, IMMUNIZATION, MEDICINE and REFILL.
Where is each answer on the August 4 Strands board?
Strands #884 resolves to these 5 theme words plus the spangram PHARMACY.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONSULT | 7 | row 6, column 5 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| COUNTER | 7 | row 5, column 4 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| IMMUNIZATION | 12 | row 8, column 3 | row 6, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| MEDICINE | 8 | row 2, column 1 | row 4, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| REFILL | 6 | row 5, column 5 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| PHARMACY | 8 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 4 | top to bottom |
What did the August 4 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 E-D-P-T-E-R, row 2 reads M-C-I-H-N-L, row 3 reads N-I-A-U-I-L, row 4 reads E-A-T-R-O-F, row 5 reads Z-I-M-C-R-E, row 6 reads I-N-O-A-C-O, row 7 reads N-M-C-U-S-N, and row 8 reads U-M-I-Y-L-T.
How hard was the August 4 Strands puzzle?
Strands #884 scores hard on our difficulty index, harder than 99% 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 4 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #884 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the August 4 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 4, 2026?
The Strands clue for August 4, 2026 is “Staying healthy”, on puzzle #884. It is answered by the spangram PHARMACY, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 4, 2026?
The 5 Strands theme words for August 4, 2026 are CONSULT, COUNTER, IMMUNIZATION, MEDICINE and REFILL, plus the spangram PHARMACY.
What was the big word in the August 4, 2026 Strands?
The big word (the spangram) for August 4, 2026 is PHARMACY, 8 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 to row 8, column 4. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Staying healthy” mean?
The Strands theme “Staying healthy” for August 4, 2026 means PHARMACY: 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 4, 2026?
Strands puzzle #884 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 4, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #884 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 99% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 4, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 is #884, 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 2026, part of the full Strands archive.