Strands · Hints and answers
Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Wednesday's Strands board has six theme words plus a 10-letter spangram, under the NYT clue "A made man". The ladder below climbs from the theme to the spangram - take one hint at a time.
Hints, in order
Hint 0 of 3Tap to show one hint at a time.
Hint 1 of 3
The NYT clue is "A made man" - take it literally before you take it sideways. The spangram runs 10 letters and touches opposite sides of the board.
Hint 2 of 3
The six theme words run 4 to 9 letters (lengths: 4, 5, 6, 6, 8, 9). Every one of them belongs to the family the clue points at.
Hint 3 of 3
The spangram starts with F and ends with D. It is FABRICATED - find it and the rest of the board falls into place.
Spangram and theme words
The spangram first, then all six theme words.
SPANGRAM
FABRICATED
DOLLTheme word
DUMMYTheme word
FIGURINETheme word
MANNEQUINTheme word
PUPPETTheme word
STATUETheme word
Next on the board
NYT Mini Crossword →
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