Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, July 10, 2026 (Puzzle #859). 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: "I think..."
What It Really Means
This puzzle revolves around things we form, hold, or act upon in our minds -- beliefs, emotions, concepts, and states of being that live in the space of thought and feeling. Every theme word connects to the internal experience of thinking, feeling, or believing.
Think About...
- Emotions and attitudes we experience internally
- Concepts related to reasoning, intuition, or conviction
- Words that describe how we process or express what's in our heads
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Horizontal (snaking)
Letter Count: 11 letters
Starting Zone: First row, far-left column
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase is about optimism and determination -- the belief that success is possible through effort.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's a three-word declaration of capability and resolve, often used as a motivational slogan.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is W, last letter is T
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WECANMAKEIT
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A feeling of urgency or rushed action.
Closer: What you feel when you're racing against a deadline.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 5 letters total
Answer
HASTE
Word 2
Vague: A deep emotional connection or affection.
Closer: The strongest human emotion, often the subject of songs and poetry.
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 4 letters total
Answer
LOVE
Word 3
Vague: A faculty of perception or judgment.
Closer: What you use to detect something -- smell, taste, or a gut feeling about what's right.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SENSE
Word 4
Vague: The recorded story of the past.
Closer: What we study to understand what came before us -- subject taught in school.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 7 letters total
Answer
HISTORY
Word 5
Vague: To accept something as true without proof.
Closer: What you do when you have faith in an idea, a person, or yourself.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 7 letters total
Answer
BELIEVE
Word 6
Vague: A quality of virtue or moral excellence.
Closer: The opposite of bad -- a simple but powerful word for something positive.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 4 letters total
Answer
GOOD
Word 7
Vague: A state of joyful cheerfulness.
Closer: How you feel during a festive celebration or a joyful occasion.
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 5 letters total
Answer
MERRY
Full Answers
Spangram: WECANMAKEIT
Theme Words:
- HASTE
- LOVE
- SENSE
- HISTORY
- BELIEVE
- GOOD
- MERRY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: HISTORY (Its connection to "I think..." is the most abstract -- it's about recorded thought and collective memory, which requires a broader interpretation of the theme.)
Our Take: This puzzle rewards lateral thinking. The theme "I think..." casts a wide net over mental and emotional territory, so the words range from concrete feelings (LOVE, MERRY) to abstract concepts (HISTORY, SENSE). The spangram WECANMAKEIT ties it together nicely with a message of optimistic determination -- essentially, if you think you can, you can. A satisfying Friday-level challenge that's more about conceptual connections than obscure vocabulary.
