#857Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Strands answers for July 8, 2026 — “Here comes trouble” (#857)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for July 8, 2026 (puzzle #857) is LITTLEDEVIL, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Here comes trouble". The 4 theme words are HELLION, RAPSCALLION, SCAMP and WHIPPERSNAPPER.
Where is each answer on the July 8 Strands board?
Strands #857 resolves to these 4 theme words plus the spangram LITTLEDEVIL.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HELLION | 7 | row 4, column 5 | row 3, column 2 | right to left |
| RAPSCALLION | 11 | row 7, column 2 | row 8, column 6 | left to right |
| SCAMP | 5 | row 7, column 5 | row 7, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| WHIPPERSNAPPER | 14 | row 3, column 1 | row 2, column 4 | left to right |
| LITTLEDEVIL | 11 | row 4, column 2 | row 4, column 6 | left to right |
What did the July 8 Strands grid look like?
The grid below is six letters wide and eight rows deep, with every answer traced through the letters it uses.
Spangram — 11 letters4 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-P-E-R-S, row 2 reads H-O-I-R-E-N, row 3 reads W-N-L-P-P-A, row 4 reads I-L-L-E-H-L, row 5 reads P-T-T-V-I-A, row 6 reads S-A-L-E-C-M, row 7 reads C-R-E-D-S-P, and row 8 reads A-L-L-I-O-N.
How hard was the July 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands #857 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 64% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
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 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #857 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 8 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on July 8, 2026?
The Strands clue for July 8, 2026 is “Here comes trouble”, on puzzle #857. It is answered by the spangram LITTLEDEVIL, and all 4 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on July 8, 2026?
The 4 Strands theme words for July 8, 2026 are HELLION, RAPSCALLION, SCAMP and WHIPPERSNAPPER, plus the spangram LITTLEDEVIL.
What was the big word in the July 8, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for July 8, 2026 is LITTLEDEVIL, 11 letters long, running from row 4, column 2 to row 4, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Here comes trouble” mean?
The Strands theme “Here comes trouble” for July 8, 2026 means LITTLEDEVIL — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 4 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands July 8, 2026?
Strands puzzle #857 has 4 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the July 8, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #857 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 64% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on July 8, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 is #857, 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.