NYT Strands Hints and Answers for July 4, 2026 (#853)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of July 4, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of July 4, 2026? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for July 4, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Ooh!
Start from the clue “Ooh!”. Once you see what the 5 theme words have in common, the grid opens up quickly.
Hint 1A gentle clue
Read the clue loosely. The 5 answers sit inside that idea; none of them is a definition of it. The spangram runs down the grid, top edge to bottom, so look for a long vertical path first.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, C, D, E, S.
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 6, 8, 8, 8 and 9 letters long. The shortest is 6 letters, the longest 9.
SpangramThe spangram
FIREWORKS
It is a single word of 9 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with F, ends with S.
AnswersAll theme words
- BRIGHT6 letters
- COLORFUL8 letters
- DAZZLING8 letters
- EXCITING8 letters
- SPARKLING9 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.
Yesterday’s Strands
Yesterday’s Strands
#852 · “It's like talking to a brick wall”
Spangram: NOTBUDGING
Read yesterday’s hints