#869Monday, July 20, 2026
Strands answers for July 20, 2026 — “Small talk” (#869)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for July 20, 2026 (puzzle #869) is ITSYBITSY, a 9-letter answer to the theme "Small talk". The 5 theme words are LITTLE, MICROSCOPIC, MINIATURE, MINUSCULE and TINY.
Where is each answer on the July 20 Strands board?
The 5 theme words for Strands on July 20, 2026 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITTLE | 6 | row 4, column 2 | row 3, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| MICROSCOPIC | 11 | row 4, column 4 | row 2, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| MINIATURE | 9 | row 7, column 5 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| MINUSCULE | 9 | row 6, column 2 | row 5, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| TINY | 4 | row 1, column 6 | row 4, column 6 | top to bottom |
| ITSYBITSY | 9 | row 4, column 1 | row 5, column 5 | left to right |
What did the July 20 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for July 20, 2026 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 9 letters5 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads I-P-O-C-S-T, row 2 reads C-T-T-O-R-I, row 3 reads I-E-L-C-I-N, row 4 reads I-L-S-M-B-Y, row 5 reads E-T-E-Y-Y-I, row 6 reads L-M-R-U-S-T, row 7 reads U-N-I-T-M-I, and row 8 reads C-S-U-A-I-N.
How hard was the July 20 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #869 comes out hard, ahead of 84% of them.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the July 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #869 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the July 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on July 20, 2026?
The Strands clue for July 20, 2026 is “Small talk”, on puzzle #869. It is answered by the spangram ITSYBITSY, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on July 20, 2026?
The 5 Strands theme words for July 20, 2026 are LITTLE, MICROSCOPIC, MINIATURE, MINUSCULE and TINY, plus the spangram ITSYBITSY.
What was the big word in the July 20, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for July 20, 2026 is ITSYBITSY, 9 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 5, column 5. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Small talk” mean?
The Strands theme “Small talk” for July 20, 2026 means ITSYBITSY — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands July 20, 2026?
Strands puzzle #869 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the July 20, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #869 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 84% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on July 20, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, July 20, 2026 is #869, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in July 2026, part of the full Strands archive.