TodayHint

Letter Boxed July 20, 2026: Hints & Answers

edited by Sam Ezersky.

Recap

This puzzle required a strategic approach to link words without isolating any side of the board too early. Solvers had to balance the use of common letters across multiple sides to find a solution that fits within the given constraints.

The board that was printed

Twelve letters, three to a side. A word could hop from any side to any other but never twice in a row from the same side, and each word had to start on the letter the last one ended on.

  • TopPEG
  • RightULM
  • BottomOIR
  • LeftCNW

Par is 4 words. This board accepts 944 words in total.

Letter Boxed hints, one rung at a time

Six rungs, softest first. The recap above already named the chain, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the board fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.

  1. How the board wanted to be attacked

    Method only — no word from the chain.

    The board has a mix of common and uncommon letters. Look for a starting word that uses a frequently occurring letter and sets up multiple possibilities for the next word. The letters 'E', 'O', 'R' appear in multiple sides, making them good targets. Avoid starting with a word that isolates a side too early.

  2. Board facts: letters, par and how many words fitted

    Read off the board.

    Top side
    P · E · G
    Right side
    U · L · M
    Bottom side
    O · I · R
    Left side
    C · N · W
    Par
    4 words
    Official chain
    2 words
    Words this board accepted
    944
    Back to the twelve letters
  3. The opening word, without naming it

    The first word has 8 letters and starts with a commonly used letter in English vocabulary, often found in many words.

  4. How long the opening word was, and where it started
    Opening word
    8 letters, starts with U
    Word 2
    6 letters
  5. The opening word itself

    The recap above already named it; this rung is for a replay.

    Word 1
    UPCOMING
  6. What each remaining word had to do

    Last rung before the full chain.

    Each word after the first began on the letter the previous one ended on, and between them they covered all 12 letters.

    Word 2
    6 letters, starts with G
    Open the full chain

Every word of that day's chain

All the words, folded. Each one stays hidden until you open it.

  • Word 1 · 8 letters

    UPCOMING

    This word means happening or arriving soon. It uses the letters 'U', 'P', 'C', 'O', 'M', 'I', 'N', 'G' and clears a significant portion of the board, setting up for a word that starts with 'G'.

  • Word 2 · 6 letters

    GLOWER

    This word means to look at something with a mixture of anger and disgust. It starts with 'G', using the last letter of 'UPCOMING', and includes the letters 'L', 'O', 'W', 'E', 'R'.

Other chains that solved that board

Any chain using all twelve letters, each word starting where the last ended, was a win. These came out of that board's own word list, so every one of them was playable.

  • Alternate chain 1 · 2 words

    EMPOWERRECOUPLING

  • Alternate chain 2 · 2 words

    MOWERRECOUPLING

  • Alternate chain 3 · 2 words

    UNPOWERRECOMPILING

This board by the numbers

Date
Monday, July 20, 2026
Board
4 sides of 3 letters
Par
4 words
Official chain
2 words
Words accepted
944 on this board
Other chains we verified
3

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