Strands July 20, 2026: Answers, Spangram & Hints (#1017)
Recap
This puzzle featured various words related to small sizes and scales, including a playful phrase that is often used to describe charming or cute things, all hidden within a grid of letters
The official theme clue
Small 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 small things, sizes, and scales, exploring various degrees of compactness and diminutiveness in everyday language and concepts, often used to describe objects or ideas
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Hint 2: The category, said plainly
The same idea, unhedged.
Size descriptions
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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 9 letters long.
- Theme word 1
- 6 letters
- Theme word 2
- 4 letters
- Theme word 3
- 9 letters
- Theme word 4
- 9 letters
- Theme word 5
- 11 letters
- Spangram
- 9 letters, side to side
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Hint 4: One clue per word, easiest first
Crossword-style.
Theme word 1 (6 letters)
Not very large
Theme word 2 (4 letters)
Extremely small in size
Theme word 3 (9 letters)
Small scale model or version
Theme word 4 (9 letters)
Very small, almost imperceptible
Theme word 5 (11 letters)
Too small to be seen with the naked eye
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Hint 5: First two letters of every theme word
Enough to start tracing.
- Theme word 1
- LI… (6 letters)
- Theme word 2
- TI… (4 letters)
- Theme word 3
- MI… (9 letters)
- Theme word 4
- MI… (9 letters)
- Theme word 5
- MI… (11 letters)
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Hint 6: What the spangram meant
The long one that tied the board together.
A phrase used to describe something very small, often in a playful or affectionate manner, implying a certain level of charm or cuteness
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 · 6 letters
LITTLE
Describes something small in size or amount
Theme word 2 · 11 letters
MICROSCOPIC
Refers to something visible only with a microscope
Theme word 3 · 9 letters
MINIATURE
Describes a small scale version of something
Theme word 4 · 9 letters
MINUSCULE
Means extremely small, often to the point of being insignificant
Theme word 5 · 4 letters
TINY
Describes something extremely small in size
Spangram · 9 letters, side to side
ITSYBITSY
Informal term for something very small, often used in a playful context
This puzzle by the numbers
- Puzzle
- (#1017) · Monday, July 20, 2026
- Theme answers
- 5 plus the spangram
- Board
- 6 × 8 letters
- Answer lengths
- 4–11 letters
- Spangram
- 9 letters, side to side
- Difficulty
- medium for a weekday board
- Valid non-theme words
- 818 accepted for hints
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