New Delhi, July 15 -- The NYT Strands puzzle for Wednesday, July 15, 2026, is puzzle #864. The theme is "Rose-colored glasses," and the spangram is PIEINTHESKY.

Hint 1: All four-strand words are adjectives. Three of them share the same three-letter ending.

Hint 2: One strand word comes directly from a Spanish literary character - a knight who famously tilted at windmills.

Hint 3: The spangram names something appealing that is unlikely to actually happen. It is a fixed phrase in English, not a compound word.

NYT Strands #864 answers for July 15, 2026:

Theme: "Rose-colored glasses"

Spangram: PIEINTHESKY

Strand words: IDEALISTIC, IMPRACTICAL, QUIXOTIC, ROMANTIC

The spangram and the theme work in tandem here. "Rose-colored glasses" de...