Strands Hint
Puzzle #859 · July 10, 2026

NYT Strands Hints for July 10, 2026

Work through the levels. Reveal the Spangram only when you’re truly ready.

Today’s clue: “"I think ..."”

Friday, July 10, 2026
Get the hintsTheme & Spangram · three levels ↓ Skip to answersJust give me the solution →
I.

Theme Hint

Three levels — warmer as you go
i Ultra safe

A gentle direction — no specifics.

  • A hopeful message leads to a set of words that often pair with it.
  • These are everyday words that complete a familiar two-part phrase.
ii Warmer

Closer — the category is coming into focus.

  • This puzzle tests knowledge of common English verb phrases.
  • Each answer is a word that follows a specific action verb to form a well-known expression.
iii Mild spoiler

Near-direct — only read if you’re stuck.

  • The theme is a set of VERB PHRASES where a particular three-letter verb takes these words as its object.
II.

Spangram Hint

Spans the entire grid
i Ultra safe

Direction only.

  • The spangram is an optimistic declaration you might hear in a moment of doubt.
  • It's a phrase of encouragement that stitches together the puzzle's core action.
ii Warmer

Getting closer.

  • It's a complete sentence that reveals the exact verb you need for all the theme answers.
  • Once you find it, the rest of the puzzle will quickly fall into place.
iii Mild spoiler

Near-direct.

  • The spangram is an 11-letter phrase that spells out the key verb along with some comforting words. It's the engine of the whole puzzle.

Word Shape Hints

Letter counts & starting letters — no direct spoilers
Theme word lengths
5574475

7 theme words — lengths in random order

Spangram length
11 letters

Spaces not counted in total

Theme word starting letters
MGHHBSL

All theme words — shuffled

III.

Common False Leads

Words many players try — but aren’t in today’s puzzle

These words fit the theme on the surface, but aren’t part of today’s solution. Knowing them ahead of time can save you minutes of searching.

SURE

A common phrase is 'make sure'; many solvers will try this word expecting it to be a theme answer.

WAVES

'Make waves' is a familiar idiom, so this word seems like a natural fit.

FRIENDS

'Make friends' is a very common collocation, so this word could mislead.

IV.

Strands Answers — July 10, 2026

Tap to reveal each one
Tap the Spangram or any word to reveal — or show everything at once.
★ Spangram
WECANMAKEIT
Tap to reveal
Theme Words — 7 words
BELIEVE
GOOD
HASTE
HISTORY
LOVE
MERRY
SENSE
Puzzle Board
SEE ALSO:
NYT Wordle hints for July 10, 2026 NYT Pips hints for July 10, 2026 NYT Connections hints for July 10, 2026
V.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
5.5/10
Most deceptive
HASTE

a textbook decoy

Spangram difficulty
6.0/10

The clue 'I think ...' was too fragmentary to pin down, so the puzzle felt opaque until the spangram WECANMAKEIT emerged as the linchpin. Once I spotted that long string, the verb 'MAKE' jumped out and I immediately knew I was looking for words that complete 'Make ___' phrases. BELIEVE and SENSE came first, then LOVE and HISTORY, but HASTE took a bit longer because its letter pattern was less obvious in the grid. The set is tricky because it mixes nouns, verbs, and adjectives, so they don’t fit a single grammatical category, but the shared verb unifies them neatly. Overall, the spangram did the heavy lifting, and after that the remaining words collapsed quickly.

VI.

Reading the Clue

What the puzzle was really hinting at

The clue 'I think ...' is a clever fragment of the motivational saying 'I think we can make it.' Once you see the spangram WECANMAKEIT, the connection clicks: the puzzle is built around the word 'make.' That verb then unlocks a set of common phrases like MAKE BELIEVE, MAKE LOVE, and MAKE MERRY, all of which add up to a playful exploration of idiomatic English.

What Makes This Puzzle Work

Post-solve commentary on today’s puzzle design

The editor’s choice leans into the diversity of 'make' collocations: BELIEVE and MERRY are less tangible than SENSE or HISTORY, while LOVE and HASTE sit somewhere between. This mix keeps the puzzle from being a simple list of one-note phrases. The spangram WECANMAKEIT cleverly provides the verb while also acting as a self-referential cheer — after all, you can indeed 'make it' through the puzzle. The inclusion of old-fashioned expressions like 'make haste' adds a slight historical twist that might trip up some solvers.

Today’s Theme Explained

What today’s puzzle is really about
Today's Strands puzzle celebrates the many things we can 'make' in everyday English. The theme is built around the verb 'make,' which pairs with each of the theme words to form a familiar idiom: BELIEVE (as in pretend or imagine), GOOD (to succeed or fulfill a promise), HASTE (to hurry), HISTORY (to do something memorable), LOVE (to engage romantically), MERRY (to celebrate joyfully), and SENSE (to be logical). The clever spangram, WECANMAKEIT, is an 11-letter phrase meaning 'we can make it' — a common expression of encouragement. It not only provides the key verb 'make' but also wraps the whole puzzle in an optimistic frame. The clue 'I think ...' is a nod to the full sentence 'I think we can make it,' hinting that the puzzle’s core is about production and achievement. The editorial choice to include a mix of nouns, verbs, and adjectives (BELIEVE is a verb here, GOOD an adjective, etc.) makes the set less predictable and more enjoyable to uncover. What makes this theme interesting is how a single, seemingly mundane verb can spawn such a wide range of phrases, from the abstract (BELIEVE) to the concrete (HISTORY). It’s a reminder of the flexibility and richness of idiomatic English.

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