#776Saturday, April 18, 2026
Strands answers for April 18, 2026 — “Not too much” (#776)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for April 18, 2026 (puzzle #776) is ONTHECHEAP, a 10-letter answer to the theme "Not too much". The 5 theme words are AFFORDABLE, BARGAIN, BUDGET, INEXPENSIVE and SALE.
Where is each answer on the April 18 Strands board?
Strands #776 resolves to these 5 theme words plus the spangram ONTHECHEAP.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFFORDABLE | 10 | row 8, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| BARGAIN | 7 | row 3, column 3 | row 2, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| BUDGET | 6 | row 2, column 5 | row 3, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| INEXPENSIVE | 11 | row 8, column 1 | row 3, column 1 | bottom to top |
| SALE | 4 | row 4, column 5 | row 5, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| ONTHECHEAP | 10 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 3 | top to bottom |
What did the April 18 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #776 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 10 letters5 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads I-A-O-N-U-D, row 2 reads N-R-G-T-B-G, row 3 reads E-A-B-H-T-E, row 4 reads V-I-C-E-S-A, row 5 reads E-S-H-R-E-L, row 6 reads P-N-E-O-D-A, row 7 reads E-X-A-F-L-B, and row 8 reads I-N-P-A-F-E.
How hard was the April 18 Strands puzzle?
Strands #776 scores hard on our difficulty index, harder than 82% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the April 18 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #776 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the April 18 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on April 18, 2026?
The Strands clue for April 18, 2026 is “Not too much”, on puzzle #776. It is answered by the spangram ONTHECHEAP, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on April 18, 2026?
The 5 Strands theme words for April 18, 2026 are AFFORDABLE, BARGAIN, BUDGET, INEXPENSIVE and SALE, plus the spangram ONTHECHEAP.
What was the big word in the April 18, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for April 18, 2026 is ONTHECHEAP, 10 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 to row 8, column 3. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Not too much” mean?
The Strands theme “Not too much” for April 18, 2026 means ONTHECHEAP — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands April 18, 2026?
Strands puzzle #776 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the April 18, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #776 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 82% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on April 18, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, April 18, 2026 is #776, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in April 2026, part of the full Strands archive.