Today's NYT Strands is live for Sunday, April 19, 2026 (Puzzle #777). 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: "Small change"
What It Really Means
Today's theme focuses on verbs meaning to make minor modifications or improvements to something. Think about actions you take to refine or adjust things slightly.
Think About...
- Synonyms for "adjust" or "modify"
- Actions taken to improve something incrementally
- Words describing fine-tuning or refinement
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Across and down
Letter Count: 13 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the first row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): A phrase you might say after making a minor repair or adjustment
Hint 2 (Warmer): This common expression suggests you've fixed something, often with a DIY approach
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is T, last letter is T
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THEREIFIXEDIT
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: To change something slightly to make it work better
Closer: What you do to settings or parameters
Letter Clue: Starts with A, 6 letters total
Answer
ADJUST
Word 2
Vague: To make changes to something
Closer: To alter or change the form or qualities of something
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 6 letters total
Answer
MODIFY
Word 3
Vague: To change or make different
Closer: To change the character or composition of something
Letter Clue: Starts with A, 5 letters total
Answer
ALTER
Word 4
Vague: To make something better
Closer: To enhance or make more effective
Letter Clue: Starts with I, 7 letters total
Answer
IMPROVE
Word 5
Vague: To make small adjustments
Closer: To fine-tune or make minor modifications
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 5 letters total
Answer
TWEAK
Word 6
Vague: To improve by removing impurities
Closer: To make more precise or polished
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 6 letters total
Answer
REFINE
Full Answers
Spangram: THEREIFIXEDIT
Theme Words:
- ADJUST
- MODIFY
- ALTER
- IMPROVE
- TWEAK
- REFINE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: REFINE (The "refine" connection to "small change" is more subtle than the other verbs)
Our Take: A clever thematic puzzle that plays on the double meaning of "small change" - both minor modifications and the collection of verbs describing those actions. The spangram "THEREIFIXEDIT" perfectly captures the DIY spirit of making adjustments. Solid word selection with clear thematic consistency.
