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Hard1 player·5–20 min

NYT Letter Boxed

Connect letters around a square box to form words — each word must start where the last ended.

Letter Boxed is a daily puzzle from the New York Times in which 12 letters are arranged around the four sides of a square (three per side). Players must form words using these letters, with the rule that consecutive letters in a word cannot be from the same side of the box. Each new word must begin with the last letter of the previous word. The goal is to use all 12 letters in as few words as possible — typically the puzzle can be solved in two or three words.

The rules

  • Letters on the same side of the box cannot follow each other consecutively within a word.
  • Letters can be reused within a word and across words.
  • Words must be at least 3 letters long.
  • The last letter of each word becomes the first letter of the next.
  • The puzzle is solved when all 12 letters have been used at least once.

Strategy tips

  • A two-word solution almost always exists — look for a long word using 7–8 letters, then a second word using the remaining letters and starting with the last letter of the first word.
  • Start from the rarest letter in the puzzle. Unusual letters like Q, X, Z, or J need to be used, so plan a word around them first.
  • Work backwards from the hardest constraint: which letter appears on the side that limits your options the most? Build a word that uses it early.
  • Our Unscramble and Anagram Solver tools can help you find words using specific letter combinations from the puzzle.
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