Cracked! Your Guide to NYT Strands #875 - The 'All-Knowing' Puzzle

Ah, Sunday. A day for relaxation, perhaps a nice brunch, and for many of us, the delightful, often perplexing, brain-teaser that is the New York Times Strands puzzle. If you tackled game #875 on July 26, 2026, and found yourself staring blankly at the grid, you're certainly not alone. These puzzles can be wonderfully devious, can't they?

This particular Sunday, the theme presented was 'All-knowing.' Immediately, my mind started buzzing with ideas. What could that even mean? Titles for highly experienced individuals, maybe? Words that describe true masters in their fields? It’s always that initial hint that sets the stage, either sending you down a helpful path or, let's be honest, completely off into left field.

The key to unlocking the whole puzzle, as often happens, lies in finding that elusive Spangram. And for game #875, it was a perfectly fitting term: BIGBRAIN. Once that glorious blue line illuminated the grid, connecting those letters horizontally, the entire theme truly snapped into focus. 'BIGBRAIN' just screamed expertise and deep understanding, perfectly encapsulating the 'All-knowing' vibe.

With 'BIGBRAIN' safely secured, the other theme words began to reveal themselves, each one a testament to profound knowledge and skill. We were looking for terms that denote someone truly authoritative in their area, the kind of person you'd consult for serious insights. The words that emerged, each hidden cleverly within the letter grid, were:

• MAVEN: Someone with special knowledge or expertise in a particular field.
• EXPERT: A person who is very knowledgeable about or skillful in a particular area.
• PUNDIT: An expert in a particular subject, often called upon to give opinions about it to the public.
• SPECIALIST: A person who concentrates primarily on a particular subject or activity; a person highly skilled in a specific and restricted field.
• AUTHORITY: A person with extensive knowledge or ability in a particular subject or field.
• GURU: An influential teacher or popular expert, often in a particular field.

It's always such a satisfying feeling, isn't it, when those final few words click into place, transforming a jumble of letters into a coherent, clever theme? The NYT Strands team really nailed it with this 'All-knowing' puzzle, making us feel like a bit of a 'BIGBRAIN' ourselves once we'd solved it. Hopefully, this little guide helped you cross the finish line if you were stuck!