Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, July 30, 2026 (Puzzle #879). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Trade names"
What It Really Means
You are looking for old occupational labels tied to skilled making and building. Many also live on as familiar surnames.
Think About...
- Traditional workshop occupations.
- Skilled hands turning raw materials into finished goods.
- Old job labels that still appear on mailboxes.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 8 letters
Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a collective term for people who make things through practiced skill.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It is the plural label for skilled makers whose work is defined by craft.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is A, last letter is S
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ARTISANS
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: This specialist works with staves, hoops, and carefully shaped containers.
Closer: Barrels and casks are the signature products of this wooden-vessel craft.
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total
Answer
COOPER
Word 2
Vague: This woodworker fits separate pieces into a precise whole.
Closer: Think mortise-and-tenon work used for doors, frames, and cabinetry.
Letter Clue: Starts with J, 6 letters total
Answer
JOINER
Word 3
Vague: This builder creates durable structures from units laid and bonded together.
Closer: Brick, stone, and mortar are this builder's core materials.
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 5 letters total
Answer
MASON
Word 4
Vague: This maker turns an earthy raw material into useful or decorative vessels.
Closer: A wheel and kiln help this craftsperson shape clay into cups, bowls, and jars.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 6 letters total
Answer
POTTER
Word 5
Vague: Heat, force, and metal define this traditional workshop role.
Closer: A forge, hammer, and anvil form the classic setup for this metalworker.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SMITH
Word 6
Vague: This specialist transforms animal hides into a durable material.
Closer: This leather-making trade treats hides so they resist decay and become usable.
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 6 letters total
Answer
TANNER
Word 7
Vague: This maker interlaces long strands into a continuous material.
Closer: On a loom, this craftsperson crosses weft through warp to produce cloth.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 6 letters total
Answer
WEAVER
Full Answers
Spangram: ARTISANS
Theme Words:
- COOPER
- JOINER
- MASON
- POTTER
- SMITH
- TANNER
- WEAVER
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, because the familiar surname readings can obscure the older occupations.
Trickiest Word: JOINER is the likeliest stall point because its everyday sense suggests someone entering a group, while the theme uses the specialized woodworking trade.
Our Take: ARTISANS neatly gathers COOPER, JOINER, MASON, POTTER, SMITH, TANNER, and WEAVER under one craft-focused label. The list works especially well because every entry is both an occupational term and a recognizable surname, giving the theme prompt a clean double meaning.
