Clue decoded
In Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab is consumed by his relentless pursuit of the white whale. That overpowering fixation is an obsession.
- Clue type:
- Pop culture
More Clues
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Puzzle 1
Puzzle 2
Puzzle 3
- hard to grasp
- most Jamaicans or Grenadians
- spectacular hoops feat
- barks shrilly
- lightness
- Captain Ahab's problemOBS-ESS-ION
- kind of test
Puzzle 4
The answer to “Captain Ahab's problem” in 7 Little Words is OBSESSION — a 9-letter word from Puzzle 3 on Saturday, August 15, 2026. If this is the one clue standing between you and a finished board, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, how to build it from that puzzle's tiles, and links to the day's other clues if more than one is giving you trouble.
“Captain Ahab's problem” answer
The 7 Little Words answer for “Captain Ahab's problem” (Saturday, August 15, 2026, Puzzle 3) is:
OBSESSION·9 letters
You can also reveal it one tile at a time above if you'd rather keep some of the challenge.
Why the answer is OBSESSION
Ahab’s relentless pursuit of one enormous white whale became an all-consuming fixation. 🐋
How to build OBSESSION from the tiles
In 7 Little Words you don't type the answer — you assemble it from the puzzle's shared tile bank, and every tile is used exactly once across all seven answers. Puzzle 3's tiles for August 15, 2026 are:
EL · US · IVE · AN · GLO · PH · ON · ES · DU · NK · YA · PS · AIR · INE · SS · OBS · ESS · ION · LIT · MUS
OBSESSION is built by combining the tiles OBS · ESS · ION in order. Because those tiles come out of the shared bank, locking in OBSESSION early also narrows what's left for the other six clues.
More clues from this puzzle
Stuck on another clue? Here are the rest of Puzzle 3's clues for August 15, 2026 — tap any for its answer and tile breakdown:
- hard to grasp — 7 letters
- most Jamaicans or Grenadians — 11 letters
- spectacular hoops feat — 4 letters
- barks shrilly — 4 letters
- lightness — 8 letters
- kind of test — 6 letters
Want all five puzzles in one place? The full day is on the August 15, 2026 answers page, and today's live answers are always one tap from the main 7 Little Words page.
About 7 Little Words
7 Little Words is a daily clue-and-tile puzzle from Blue Ox Technologies. Each board gives seven clues and a bank of two- and three-letter tiles; you spell every answer by combining tiles, using each tile exactly once. Five free puzzles publish every day, resetting at midnight Eastern Time. This was a Saturday puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “Captain Ahab's problem” in 7 Little Words?
The answer is OBSESSION, a 9-letter word from Puzzle 3 on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “Captain Ahab's problem”?
9 letters: OBSESSION.
Which tiles spell OBSESSION?
The tiles OBS · ESS · ION combine to spell OBSESSION, drawn from Puzzle 3's shared tile bank.
Can “Captain Ahab's problem” have a different 7 Little Words answer?
Blue Ox can reuse a clue on another date, and the tile bank differs each day, so the answer that fits can change.
What time does 7 Little Words reset?
Every day at midnight Eastern Time. We post each day's answers as soon as the new puzzles go live.
Crossword Clues
Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.