TodayHint

Letter Boxed September 20, 2026: Hints & Answers

edited by Sam Ezersky.

Recap

This puzzle required strategic thinking to navigate the constraints of consecutive letters and word chaining. Solvers had to carefully select each word to ensure that the chain used all twelve letters without repeating any side consecutively.

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.

  • TopOIS
  • RightEPM
  • BottomLRH
  • LeftFTW

Par is 4 words. This board accepts 2047 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 less common letters. Starting with a word that uses high-frequency letters or letters that appear on multiple sides could be beneficial. The goal is to find a word that sets up multiple possibilities for the next word.

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

    Read off the board.

    Top side
    O · I · S
    Right side
    E · P · M
    Bottom side
    L · R · H
    Left side
    F · T · W
    Par
    4 words
    Official chain
    2 words
    Words this board accepted
    2047
    Back to the twelve letters
  3. The opening word, without naming it

    The first word has 7 letters and starts with a letter that is commonly used in many words, often found in words related to people or actions.

  4. How long the opening word was, and where it started
    Opening word
    7 letters, starts with H
    Word 2
    9 letters
  5. The opening word itself

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

    Word 1
    HIMSELF
  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
    9 letters, starts with F
    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 · 7 letters

    HIMSELF

    A reflexive pronoun used to refer back to the subject of a sentence, often indicating that the subject performs the action and receives it. It clears the letters H, I, M, S, E, L, and F.

  • Word 2 · 9 letters

    FLOWERPOT

    A container, typically made of ceramic or plastic, used for growing plants. It clears the letters F, L, O, W, E, R, P, O, 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

    FELTSSHIPWORM

  • Alternate chain 2 · 2 words

    FELWORTTERMITOPHILES

  • Alternate chain 3 · 2 words

    FELWORTSSHIPWORM

This board by the numbers

Date
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Board
4 sides of 3 letters
Par
4 words
Official chain
2 words
Words accepted
2047 on this board
Other chains we verified
3

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