# Today's NYT Strands Hints and Solutions Answers and strategies for July 20 Strands puzzle - **Source:** [CNET](https://brifing.si/source/ce507de7-7f24-4ff4-ab6d-7635abcc095a) - **Published:** 2026-07-19 - **Topic:** [Career Growth](https://brifing.si/c/growth) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/725a77f4-b9bc-4a42-91a4-dcedd7bdf932 ## What is Strands Puzzle? The New York Times' popular word puzzle Strands requires finding hidden words around a specific theme. The daily renewed puzzle can contain long and complex answers. This version, designed with logic opposite to yesterday's theme, centers around 'small talk' as its main concept. ## Game Mechanics Players try to find theme words with four or more letters. Finding three words triggers a theme hint. Words like ROOT, POOT, SELL can unlock hints. The main goal is finding the spangram - a theme word spanning from one side of the board to the other. ## Thematic Clues Today's puzzle theme is 'small talk' with the additional clue 'not huge', indicating size-related answers. Correct solutions include words like TINY, LITTLE, MINIATURE and more technical terms like MICROSCOPIC. ## Importance of Spangram ITSYBITSY is today's spangram, starting from the top-left corner and extending across the board. When all theme words are found, every letter on the board gets used. Finding the spangram is crucial for understanding the puzzle's structure. ## Solution Strategies Recommended strategy for stuck players: first find any four-letter words to unlock hints. Even seemingly unrelated words trigger the system. Pay attention to diminutive suffixes (-tiny, -mini) and try letter combinations creatively to increase success chances. ## Mental Benefits Word puzzles like Strands enhance cognitive skills, enrich vocabulary and improve problem-solving abilities. These mental exercises from NYT serve as ideal brain workouts for those wanting to incorporate mental training into daily routines. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/todays-nyt-strands-hints-answers-and-help-for-july-20-869/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._