#839Saturday, June 20, 2026
Strands answers for June 20, 2026 — “Knicks knack” (#839)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for June 20, 2026 (puzzle #839) is GARDENPARTY, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Knicks knack". The 5 theme words are CHANT, COURTSIDE, JUMBOTRON, MARQUEE and RAFTERS.
Where is each answer on the June 20 Strands board?
Strands #839 resolves to these 5 theme words plus the spangram GARDENPARTY.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHANT | 5 | row 3, column 1 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| COURTSIDE | 9 | row 1, column 2 | row 1, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| JUMBOTRON | 9 | row 5, column 2 | row 6, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| MARQUEE | 7 | row 7, column 3 | row 6, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| RAFTERS | 7 | row 6, column 6 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| GARDENPARTY | 11 | row 1, column 1 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the June 20 Strands grid look like?
The grid below is six letters wide and eight rows deep, with every answer traced through the letters it uses.
Spangram — 11 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 G-C-E-D-I-S, row 2 reads A-R-O-U-R-T, row 3 reads C-D-E-N-P-Y, row 4 reads H-A-N-Q-A-T, row 5 reads U-J-T-R-U-R, row 6 reads M-N-A-E-E-R, row 7 reads B-O-M-R-S-A, and row 8 reads O-T-R-E-T-F.
How hard was the June 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands #839 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 56% 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 June 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #839 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Dan Falokun. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the June 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on June 20, 2026?
The Strands clue for June 20, 2026 is “Knicks knack”, on puzzle #839. It is answered by the spangram GARDENPARTY, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on June 20, 2026?
The 5 Strands theme words for June 20, 2026 are CHANT, COURTSIDE, JUMBOTRON, MARQUEE and RAFTERS, plus the spangram GARDENPARTY.
What was the big word in the June 20, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for June 20, 2026 is GARDENPARTY, 11 letters long, running from row 1, column 1 to row 3, 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 “Knicks knack” mean?
The Strands theme “Knicks knack” for June 20, 2026 means GARDENPARTY — 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 June 20, 2026?
Strands puzzle #839 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the June 20, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #839 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 56% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on June 20, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, June 20, 2026 is #839, 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 June 2026, part of the full Strands archive.