Strands · No. 888 · Saturday, August 8, 2026
NYT Strands #888 hints and answers
Today’s theme clue is “It has its ups and downs”. Hints for the theme and the spangram, one step at a time.
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0 of 7 theme words foundToday’s themeIt has its ups and downs
Every 3 non-theme words you find earn a hint.
The hint ladder
0 of 8 hints usedThe theme6 words✓ Solved
NudgeReveal nudge
Thrill ride anatomy, as the engineers name each twist
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HintReveal hint
Each answer is a feature of a scream machine: inversions, dives, steep banked turns, dark enclosed stretches
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One wordReveal one word
One theme word: CORKSCREW
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AnswerReveal answer
Theme words: CORKSCREW, CUTBACK, DROP, LOOP, TRACK, TUNNEL
The spangramTouches two sides✓ Solved
NudgeReveal nudge
Clack, clack, clack... then everybody screams at once
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HintReveal hint
The spanning answer names the classic amusement park thrill ride whose parts the other answers describe
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One wordReveal one word
R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ R (13 letters)
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AnswerReveal answer
ROLLERCOASTER
Hints drafted with AI and checked automatically for spoilers. How we write hints