NYT Strands puzzle solved with theme “Big talk” and spangram SUPERSIZEIT

The July 19 Strands puzzle from the New York Times Games app used the theme “Big talk.” The hidden spangram, which runs across the entire board, was revealed as SUPERSIZEIT, a phrase once used at McDonald’s to request the largest possible order.

Five theme words fitting the “monstrously large things” clue were identified: GIANT, BEHEMOTH, LEVIATHAN, MAMMOTH and COLOSSUS. Each word appears once on the board, using each letter only a single time, and can be traced in any direction.

Strands combines elements of word-search and crossword puzzles. Players locate the spangram first, which typically highlights the puzzle’s overall theme, then find the remaining themed words. The game provides hints after submitting non-theme words and does not limit the number of guesses or impose a time limit. Upon completion, a shareable card shows the solved words with colored dots indicating theme words, the spangram and any hints used.