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August 19, 2026#899archive

NYT Strands — August 19, 2026

Looking for today's NYT Strands? →

Hints — one at a time

Hint 1 of 5

Today's grid is set at a hot dog stand.

Hint 2 of 5

Every non-spangram word names a topping you might pile onto a hot dog.

Hint 3 of 5

One entry is a tangy fermented cabbage dish popular in German cuisine; another is the chopped, pickled condiment often spread on top.

Hint 4 of 5

The spangram is a punny nickname for the very sausages all these toppings go on.

Hint 5 of 5

Look for CHEESE, KETCHUP, MUSTARD, ONION, RELISH and SAUERKRAUT, all spanned by TOPDOGS.

The answer — spoilers!

Reveal the full answer

Theme

For better or wurst

Spangram

TOPDOGS

Theme words

CHEESE · KETCHUP · MUSTARD · ONION · RELISH · SAUERKRAUT

This puzzle by the numbers

Spangram length
7 letters
Theme words to find
6

Counted from our own archive of NYT Strands answers — not published anywhere else.

A tall Strands-style board six tiles wide, mostly blank, with two highlighted rows: a pink one spelling FLOWER right across the board and a shorter amber one spelling ROSE
On the Strands board the theme word and the shorter answers are traced straight through the letters. Example board, not today’s puzzle.