#848Monday, June 29, 2026
Strands answers for June 29, 2026 — “The mark of a good composer” (#848)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for June 29, 2026 (puzzle #848) is MUSICALSTAFF, a 12-letter answer to the theme "The mark of a good composer". The 6 theme words are ACCIDENTAL, BRACKET, CLEF, MEASURE, NOTE and REST.
Where is each answer on the June 29 Strands board?
Strands #848 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram MUSICALSTAFF.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCIDENTAL | 10 | row 1, column 6 | row 2, column 3 | right to left |
| BRACKET | 7 | row 4, column 3 | row 1, column 2 | bottom to top |
| CLEF | 4 | row 7, column 4 | row 8, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| MEASURE | 7 | row 4, column 4 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| NOTE | 4 | row 8, column 6 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| REST | 4 | row 8, column 1 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| MUSICALSTAFF | 12 | row 5, column 1 | row 6, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the June 29 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #848 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 12 letters6 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 E-T-E-C-C-A, row 2 reads K-N-L-D-I-U, row 3 reads C-T-A-A-S-R, row 4 reads A-R-B-M-E-E, row 5 reads M-U-S-I-C-A, row 6 reads F-F-A-T-S-L, row 7 reads E-S-T-C-E-T, and row 8 reads R-F-E-L-O-N.
How hard was the June 29 Strands puzzle?
Strands #848 scores easy on our difficulty index, harder than 7% 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 29 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #848 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 June 29 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on June 29, 2026?
The Strands clue for June 29, 2026 is “The mark of a good composer”, on puzzle #848. It is answered by the spangram MUSICALSTAFF, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on June 29, 2026?
The 6 Strands theme words for June 29, 2026 are ACCIDENTAL, BRACKET, CLEF, MEASURE, NOTE and REST, plus the spangram MUSICALSTAFF.
What was the big word in the June 29, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for June 29, 2026 is MUSICALSTAFF, 12 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 6, column 1. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “The mark of a good composer” mean?
The Strands theme “The mark of a good composer” for June 29, 2026 means MUSICALSTAFF — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands June 29, 2026?
Strands puzzle #848 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the June 29, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #848 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 7% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on June 29, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, June 29, 2026 is #848, 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.