NYT Strands Answer Today — Saturday, 18 April 2026
Looking for the NYT Strands answer for Saturday, 18 April 2026 (puzzle #776)? You’re in the right place. We’ll give you a set of helpful hints first — so scroll carefully to avoid spoilers — before revealing the full solution below the warning line.
NYT Strands Hints for 18 April 2026 (No Spoilers)
Today’s Strands theme has a clear commercial flavour. If you’re stuck on the board, these clues should nudge you in the right direction without giving the game away.
- Hint 1 — Theme: The puzzle theme is “Not too much” — think about how you’d describe the price of something you snapped up at a bargain.
- Hint 2 — In-game clue: The official clue is “Is it on sale?” All theme words are synonyms or phrases linked to low cost.
- Hint 3 — Word lengths: Theme answers range from 4 to 11 letters. One is very short; one is very long.
- Hint 4 — Useful clue words: Words like CHEAP, FOLD, SHEER, BALD, and VICE can help you unlock in-game hints (any 4+ letter word you find will count).
- Hint 5 — Spangram hint: The spangram is a two-word phrase commonly used in British and American English to describe doing something on a tight budget. Start looking in the top row, three letters from the left.
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· · · Last chance · · ·
NYT Strands Answer for 18 April 2026
Theme answers — #776
INEXPENSIVE · AFFORDABLE
Today’s spangram
Every answer in today’s puzzle is a word or phrase meaning low in cost or good value. Affordable and inexpensive are the longer finds that tend to trip players up, while sale is the quick early win. The spangram, ON THE CHEAP, is an idiom meaning to do something while spending as little money as possible — it has roots in 19th-century English slang, where cheap itself derives from the Old English ceap, meaning a bargain or trade (hence place names like Cheapside in London). To locate the spangram, start with the O sitting three letters in from the left on the top row and wind downward across the board.
How Did We Do Today?
Strands #776 sits comfortably in the medium range. The theme is satisfying once it clicks — everyone’s been hunting for a bargain — but the longer words like INEXPENSIVE require patience to unscramble from the grid. If you needed a hint or two, you’re in good company.
Share your score in the comments or on social media, and let us know how many clue words it took you to unlock the board. And if you want to compare, take a look at yesterday’s Strands answer (#775, 17 April 2026) to see how today stacked up.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NYT Strands answer today, 18 April 2026?
The answers for Strands #776 on 18 April 2026 are SALE, BUDGET, BARGAIN, INEXPENSIVE and AFFORDABLE, with the spangram ON THE CHEAP. The theme is “Not too much,” covering words that describe low-cost purchases.
What is today’s Strands theme, 18 April 2026?
Today’s NYT Strands theme is “Not too much,” with the in-game clue “Is it on sale?” Every answer is a word or phrase associated with low prices, bargains, or spending very little money.
How hard is Strands #776 on 18 April 2026?
Strands #776 is a medium-difficulty puzzle. The theme is approachable once the shopping angle becomes clear, but longer answers like INEXPENSIVE (11 letters) and placing the spangram ON THE CHEAP across the board require careful searching.
Abi has been writing about gaming, sports, puzzles, and UK entertainment since 2019. She covers everything from game reviews and festival previews to your daily Wordle hints — always from a British perspective.
