#471Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Strands answers for June 17, 2025 — “Make it work” (#471)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for June 17, 2025 (puzzle #471) is FIGUREOUT, a 9-letter answer to the theme "Make it work". The 5 theme words are CONTRIVE, ENGINEER, FINAGLE, FINESSE and NEGOTIATE.
Where is each answer on the June 17 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #471 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONTRIVE | 8 | row 5, column 4 | row 4, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| ENGINEER | 8 | row 8, column 5 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| FINAGLE | 7 | row 1, column 4 | row 3, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| FINESSE | 7 | row 3, column 5 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| NEGOTIATE | 9 | row 8, column 1 | row 8, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| FIGUREOUT | 9 | row 4, column 1 | row 5, column 6 | left to right |
What did the June 17 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 — 9 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 A-N-I-F-S-E, row 2 reads G-T-R-I-S-E, row 3 reads L-E-N-V-F-N, row 4 reads F-I-G-O-E-I, row 5 reads O-T-U-C-U-T, row 6 reads G-I-R-E-O-R, row 7 reads E-A-G-I-N-E, and row 8 reads N-E-T-N-E-E.
How hard was the June 17 Strands puzzle?
Strands #471 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 56% 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 June 17 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #471 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 June 17 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on June 17, 2025?
The Strands clue for June 17, 2025 is “Make it work”, on puzzle #471. It is answered by the spangram FIGUREOUT, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on June 17, 2025?
The 5 Strands theme words for June 17, 2025 are CONTRIVE, ENGINEER, FINAGLE, FINESSE and NEGOTIATE, plus the spangram FIGUREOUT.
What was the big word in the June 17, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for June 17, 2025 is FIGUREOUT, 9 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 5, 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 “Make it work” mean?
The Strands theme “Make it work” for June 17, 2025 means FIGUREOUT — 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 June 17, 2025?
Strands puzzle #471 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the June 17, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #471 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 56% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on June 17, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 is #471, 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 June 2025, part of the full Strands archive.