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NYT's Strands #869, #870 Feature ITSYBITSY, STATIONERY

7/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The New York Times published Strands puzzle #869 on July 20, 2026 and puzzle #870 on July 21, 2026.
Puzzle #869’s “Very small” theme yielded MINUSCULE, MICROSCOPIC, MINIATURE, TINY, LITTLE.
Puzzle #870’s desk-supply theme yielded LETTERHEAD, ENVELOPE, NOTEPAD, FILE, SHEET, CARD.
The guides advised solving the #869 Spangram ITSYBITSY, which starts with I and ends with Y.
The #870 Spangram answer STATIONERY starts with S and ends with Y.

History

Historical Context

The New York Times first ran a crossword on 15 February 1942, after a wartime memo linked the puzzle to Pearl Harbor blackouts; Margaret Farrar set the grid rules and the Sunday puzzle became daily in 1950. Since Will Shortz took over in 1993, he has edited over 30,000 puzzles, a legacy continued by Strands puzzles #869-#870 on 20-21 July 2026.

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Story summary

The New York Times published Strands puzzle #869 on July 20, 2026 and puzzle #870 on July 21, 2026.
Puzzle #869’s “Very small” theme yielded MINUSCULE, MICROSCOPIC, MINIATURE, TINY, LITTLE.
Puzzle #870’s desk-supply theme yielded LETTERHEAD, ENVELOPE, NOTEPAD, FILE, SHEET, CARD.
The guides advised solving the #869 Spangram ITSYBITSY, which starts with I and ends with Y.
The #870 Spangram answer STATIONERY starts with S and ends with Y.

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