Spoilers ahead. This is the archived NYT Strands puzzle for Thursday, August 28, 2025, game #543—not the current daily puzzle. Start with the nudge and clues below; the spangram and complete answer list appear farther down.
Hints for Strands #543
The theme clue is “Do go on…” If you want a gentler nudge before seeing any answers, think of people who talk readily or at length. Parade’s additional hint is “Blah blah blah…”
How the words fit the theme
The theme words describe someone who is chatty, or a way of speaking at length. Try spotting those meanings in the grid before revealing the answers.
How to play and earn an in-game hint
In the instructions Parade attributes to The New York Times, theme words fill the board, do not overlap, and turn blue once found. Select letters by dragging or tapping; when tapping, double-tap the final letter to submit a word. The spangram describes the theme, touches two opposite sides of the board, and turns yellow when found.
Three valid non-theme words unlock an in-game hint that reveals a theme word. If a hint is already displayed, it reveals the letter order for that word. A non-affiliated explainer describes the general Strands board as a 6-by-8 grid with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal letter connections, including turns, and no word bank: Strands.Game’s mechanics explainer.
Spangram for August 28
The spangram is CHATTERBOX. Parade describes it as mostly horizontal; TechRadar places its start at the left side of the fifth row and its end at the right side of the fifth row.
Rank #2
All Strands answers for Thursday, August 28
The five theme words are:
- GABBY
- VERBOSE
- VOLUBLE
- TALKATIVE
- LOQUACIOUS
Together with CHATTERBOX, those are the puzzle’s complete set of theme answers. Three published guides—Forbes, Parade, and TechRadar—agree on the date’s theme, spangram, and answer list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Play the archived puzzle
Strands is a daily puzzle that rolls over at midnight according to the player’s time zone. For the archived answers above, the relevant date is August 28, 2025. Open NYT Strands to play; the puzzle shown may depend on when you visit and your time zone.
Quick Recap
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