#879Thursday, July 30, 2026
Strands answers for July 30, 2026 — “Trade names” (#879)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for July 30, 2026 (puzzle #879) is ARTISANS, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Trade names". The 7 theme words are COOPER, JOINER, MASON, POTTER, SMITH, TANNER and WEAVER.
Where is each answer on the July 30 Strands board?
Strands #879 resolves to these 7 theme words plus the spangram ARTISANS.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COOPER | 6 | row 2, column 3 | row 1, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| JOINER | 6 | row 5, column 4 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| MASON | 5 | row 5, column 5 | row 8, column 6 | top to bottom |
| POTTER | 6 | row 3, column 5 | row 2, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| SMITH | 5 | row 5, column 2 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| TANNER | 6 | row 8, column 5 | row 7, column 1 | right to left |
| WEAVER | 6 | row 2, column 1 | row 3, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| ARTISANS | 8 | row 1, column 1 | row 1, column 6 | left to right |
What did the July 30 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #879 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 8 letters7 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 A-O-O-P-R-S, row 2 reads W-R-C-E-N-R, row 3 reads R-E-T-A-P-E, row 4 reads E-A-I-S-O-T, row 5 reads V-S-O-J-M-T, row 6 reads M-I-I-N-A-S, row 7 reads R-T-H-E-R-O, and row 8 reads E-N-N-A-T-N.
How hard was the July 30 Strands puzzle?
Strands #879 scores easy on our difficulty index, harder than 10% 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 July 30 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #879 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the July 30 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on July 30, 2026?
The Strands clue for July 30, 2026 is “Trade names”, on puzzle #879. It is answered by the spangram ARTISANS, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on July 30, 2026?
The 7 Strands theme words for July 30, 2026 are COOPER, JOINER, MASON, POTTER, SMITH, TANNER and WEAVER, plus the spangram ARTISANS.
What was the big word in the July 30, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for July 30, 2026 is ARTISANS, 8 letters long, running from row 1, column 1 to row 1, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Trade names” mean?
The Strands theme “Trade names” for July 30, 2026 means ARTISANS — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 7 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands July 30, 2026?
Strands puzzle #879 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the July 30, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #879 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 10% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on July 30, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Thursday, July 30, 2026 is #879, 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 July 2026, part of the full Strands archive.