The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →NYT Strands puzzle #612, dated November 5, 2025, has the theme “The butterfly effect.” Start with the hints below if you want help without seeing the full answer key; the complete solutions follow after a spoiler warning.
Hints for Strands #612
Try these non-theme words to advance the in-game hint counter:
- LIAR
- HOME
- DEAN
- CHIA
- GREAT
- CLASSIC
Finding three non-theme words of at least four letters earns a hint that highlights one theme answer. The spangram has eight letters and runs between the left and right edges of the board at row seven.
Spoiler warning: November 5 answers
The complete answer set for game #612 is:
- MONARCHS — spangram
- CATERPILLAR
- CHRYSALIS
- HATCH
- MIGRATE
- MILKWEED
How Strands hints work
Strands is a word-search-style daily puzzle. Trace themed words through adjacent letters; the spangram names the puzzle’s theme and spans the board. Non-theme words are separate: they fill the hint counter rather than appearing in the answer set above.
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About this puzzle date
This is the archived puzzle for Wednesday, November 5, 2025—not the current day’s puzzle. A new Strands puzzle appears at midnight in each player’s time zone, so “today” can refer to different puzzles depending on location. The guides connect this theme to monarch butterflies, including migration and milkweed, but the answer list is all you need to solve the board.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
Play Strands through the NYT Games site.
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