Strands July 26, 2026: Answers, Spangram & Hints (#1051)
The written hints below were assembled automatically from the puzzle data rather than composed by an editor. Every number in them is counted off the board, so they are accurate — just plainer than usual.
Recap
The spangram was BIGBRAIN, running horizontally across the 8 by 6 board, and the 6 theme answers were AUTHORITY, EXPERT, GURU, MAVEN, PUNDIT, SPECIALIST. The official clue was "All-knowing". This recap was assembled automatically from the puzzle data rather than written by an editor, so it lists what appeared on the board without commentary on how hard any individual answer proved to be. Answer lengths ran from 4 to 10 letters.
The official theme clue
All-knowing
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.
Auto-generated hint: no written reading of the theme was available, so here is what the puzzle itself tells you. There are 6 theme entries hidden in the 8 by 6 grid, plus the long entry that ties them together. Their lengths are 9, 6, 4, 5, 6 and 10. Read the official clue printed above the grid and use these counts to narrow down what fits.
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Hint 2: The category, said plainly
The same idea, unhedged.
Auto-generated hint: 6 entries share one topic, and the official clue printed above the puzzle is the fastest way into it.
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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. 6 theme answers were hidden in it, plus the spangram, which ran side to side and was 8 letters long.
- Theme word 1
- 9 letters
- Theme word 2
- 6 letters
- Theme word 3
- 4 letters
- Theme word 4
- 5 letters
- Theme word 5
- 6 letters
- Theme word 6
- 10 letters
- Spangram
- 8 letters, side to side
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Hint 4: One clue per word, easiest first
Crossword-style.
Theme word 1 (9 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 9 characters long and begins with the pair AU.
Theme word 2 (6 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 6 characters long and begins with the pair EX.
Theme word 3 (4 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 4 characters long and begins with the pair GU.
Theme word 4 (5 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 5 characters long and begins with the pair MA.
Theme word 5 (6 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 6 characters long and begins with the pair PU.
Theme word 6 (10 letters)
Auto-generated hint: this entry is 10 characters long and begins with the pair SP.
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Hint 5: First two letters of every theme word
Enough to start tracing.
- Theme word 1
- AU… (9 letters)
- Theme word 2
- EX… (6 letters)
- Theme word 3
- GU… (4 letters)
- Theme word 4
- MA… (5 letters)
- Theme word 5
- PU… (6 letters)
- Theme word 6
- SP… (10 letters)
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Hint 6: What the spangram meant
The long one that tied the board together.
Auto-generated hint: the long entry is 8 characters and runs from one side of the grid across to the far side, touching both edges. Trace a single unbroken chain across the whole thing and the rest becomes much easier to see.
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 · 9 letters
AUTHORITY
AUTHORITY — 9 letters, one of the 6 theme answers.
Theme word 2 · 6 letters
EXPERT
EXPERT — 6 letters, one of the 6 theme answers.
Theme word 3 · 4 letters
GURU
GURU — 4 letters, one of the 6 theme answers.
Theme word 4 · 5 letters
MAVEN
MAVEN — 5 letters, one of the 6 theme answers.
Theme word 5 · 6 letters
PUNDIT
PUNDIT — 6 letters, one of the 6 theme answers.
Theme word 6 · 10 letters
SPECIALIST
SPECIALIST — 10 letters, one of the 6 theme answers.
Spangram · 8 letters, side to side
BIGBRAIN
BIGBRAIN — the spangram, 8 letters, spanning the board horizontally.
This puzzle by the numbers
- Puzzle
- (#1051) · Sunday, July 26, 2026
- Theme answers
- 6 plus the spangram
- Board
- 6 × 8 letters
- Answer lengths
- 4–10 letters
- Spangram
- 8 letters, side to side
- Difficulty
- medium for a weekday board
- Valid non-theme words
- 1045 accepted for hints
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