Letter Boxed July 30, 2026: Hints & Answers

edited by Sam Ezersky.

Recap

This puzzle required strategic thinking about letter distribution and word connections. Solvers had to balance the need for common letters with the constraints of the board, making it a moderately challenging but satisfying puzzle.

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.

  • TopTBJ
  • RightARE
  • BottomMUS
  • LeftNCP

Par is 5 words. This board accepts 1243 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. Hint 1: How the board wanted to be attacked

    Method only — no word from the chain.

    The board has a mix of common and less common letters. Look for a starting word that uses a side with multiple common letters. The word should ideally end in a letter that appears on multiple sides, making it easier to find the next word. Focus on using sides with more versatile letters to keep options open.

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

    Read off the board.

    Top side
    T · B · J
    Right side
    A · R · E
    Bottom side
    M · U · S
    Left side
    N · C · P
    Par
    5 words
    Official chain
    2 words
    Words this board accepted
    1243
  3. Hint 3: The opening word, without naming it

    The first word has 5 letters and starts with S. It is a common word that could fit in various contexts.

  4. Hint 4: How long the opening word was, and where it started
    Opening word
    6 letters, starts with S
    Word 2
    10 letters
  5. Hint 5: The opening word itself

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

    Word 1
    SPRUCE
  6. Hint 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
    10 letters, starts with E

Every word of that day's chain

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

  • Word 1 · 6 letters

    SPRUCE

    A type of evergreen tree. It clears the letters S, P, R, U, C, and E, providing a solid foundation for the next word.

  • Word 2 · 10 letters

    ENJAMBMENT

    A poetic device where a sentence or phrase continues into the next line without a pause. It starts with E, the last letter of SPRUCE, and clears the letters E, N, J, A, M, B, and T.

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

    CUTPURSEENJAMBEMENT

  • Alternate chain 2 · 2 words

    ENJAMBEMENTSSPRUCE

  • Alternate chain 3 · 2 words

    ENJAMBMENTSSPRUCE

This board by the numbers

Date
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Board
4 sides of 3 letters
Par
5 words
Official chain
2 words
Words accepted
1243 on this board
Other chains we verified
3

More Letter Boxed

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