Strands July 19, 2026: Answers, Spangram & Hints (#1045)
Recap
This puzzle featured large and impressive things, including a monstrous creature, a gigantic statue, and an extinct large mammal, all centered around the idea of enormous size and scope, with a clever twist on marketing terminology.
The official theme clue
Big talk
Printed above the board in the app itself that day — the line that decided which of the many words hiding in the grid actually counted.
Strands hints, one rung at a time
Six rungs, softest first. The recap above already named the answers, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the board fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.
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Hint 1: What the theme was getting at
A reading of the theme. No answers.
The theme is about large and impressive things, often used to describe something that is extraordinary or remarkable in size or scope.
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Hint 2: The category, said plainly
The same idea, unhedged.
Large things
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Hint 3: Board facts: how many words, how long
Counted off the grid.
The board was 6 letters wide and 8 tall. 5 theme answers were hidden in it, plus the spangram, which ran side to side and was 11 letters long.
- Theme word 1
- 5 letters
- Theme word 2
- 7 letters
- Theme word 3
- 8 letters
- Theme word 4
- 9 letters
- Theme word 5
- 8 letters
- Spangram
- 11 letters, side to side
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Hint 4: One clue per word, easiest first
Crossword-style.
Theme word 1 (5 letters)
Very large person or thing
Theme word 2 (7 letters)
Extinct large mammal
Theme word 3 (8 letters)
Monstrous or enormous creature
Theme word 4 (9 letters)
Large sea monster or whale
Theme word 5 (8 letters)
Gigantic statue or enormous person
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Hint 5: First two letters of every theme word
Enough to start tracing.
- Theme word 1
- GI… (5 letters)
- Theme word 2
- MA… (7 letters)
- Theme word 3
- BE… (8 letters)
- Theme word 4
- LE… (9 letters)
- Theme word 5
- CO… (8 letters)
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Hint 6: What the spangram meant
The long one that tied the board together.
A phrase that means to make something much larger, often used in marketing to attract attention
It touched both edges, running side to side across all 6 columns.
The starting letter board
The grid as printed, 6 across and 8 down. Read only — reveal an answer below and this board traces it.
Every Strands answer and the spangram
Every answer from that board, folded. Opening one traces its path above — the spangram in gold.
Theme word 1 · 8 letters
BEHEMOTH
A monstrous creature from the Bible, symbolizing enormous size
Theme word 2 · 8 letters
COLOSSUS
A gigantic statue, often used to describe something enormous
Theme word 3 · 5 letters
GIANT
A very large person or thing, often used to describe something extraordinary
Theme word 4 · 9 letters
LEVIATHAN
A large sea monster or whale, often used to describe something enormous
Theme word 5 · 7 letters
MAMMOTH
An extinct large mammal, often used to describe something enormous
Spangram · 11 letters, side to side
SUPERSIZEIT
A phrase used to make something larger, often in a marketing context
This puzzle by the numbers
- Puzzle
- (#1045) · Sunday, July 19, 2026
- Theme answers
- 5 plus the spangram
- Board
- 6 × 8 letters
- Answer lengths
- 5–9 letters
- Spangram
- 11 letters, side to side
- Difficulty
- medium for a weekday board
- Valid non-theme words
- 935 accepted for hints
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