Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, July 3, 2026 (Puzzle #852). 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: "It's like talking to a brick wall"
What It Really Means
This theme is all about people who refuse to change their minds or yield to any argument. Every word in today's puzzle describes a personality trait or state of being unyielding, inflexible, or downright impossible to persuade.
Think About...
- Synonyms for someone who never backs down
- Words that describe a fixed position or attitude
- Terms for relentless determination taken to an extreme
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Horizontal (snaking across the grid)
Letter Count: 10 letters
Starting Zone: Begins near the middle of the sixth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This word describes the state of refusing to move or change position, whether physically or metaphorically.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think about what happens when you push against something that won't give an inch. It's the opposite of shifting or yielding.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is N, last letter is G
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NOTBUDGING
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A formal way to say someone refuses to change their mind.
Closer: Often used in legal or medical contexts to describe someone stuck in their ways.
Letter Clue: Starts with O, 9 letters total
Answer
OBSTINATE
Word 2
Vague: Someone who does exactly what they want, regardless of others.
Closer: Describes a person with a strong, determined, sometimes reckless sense of purpose.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 7 letters total
Answer
WILLFUL
Word 3
Vague: A compound word for someone who charges forward with their own ideas.
Closer: Implies a stubborn, self-directed nature that's hard to redirect.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 10 letters total
Answer
HEADSTRONG
Word 4
Vague: Short and direct. This word means solid and unyielding.
Closer: Can describe a handshake, a decision, or a stance that won't waver.
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 4 letters total
Answer
FIRM
Word 5
Vague: The most common word for someone who refuses to change course.
Closer: Think of a mule, a child in a tantrum, or anyone digging in their heels.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
STUBBORN
Full Answers
Spangram: NOTBUDGING
Theme Words:
- OBSTINATE
- WILLFUL
- HEADSTRONG
- FIRM
- STUBBORN
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: OBSTINATE (Longer and more formal than the others, it might not jump out as quickly as STUBBORN or FIRM for a synonym-of-stubborn hunt)
Our Take: A crisp, single-theme puzzle with no filler. The spangram NOTBUDGING ties the whole board together nicely, and the word list covers the spectrum from four-letter FIRM to ten-letter HEADSTRONG. If you locked in STUBBORN early, the rest fell into place fast.
