they're frayed by stress 7 Little Words
Latest answer — September 16, 2026
Scroll down for the rest of today's clues
Clue explained
NERVES are described as frayed when prolonged stress or worry makes someone tense, anxious, or irritable. The phrase is figurative: stress does not literally unravel the nerves.
- Clue type:
- Phrase or idiom
More Clues
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Puzzle 1
Puzzle 2
- withered
- gallivanted (around)
- electronic audio hub
- they're frayed by stressNER-VES
- equalled
- whining complainer
- makes official
Puzzle 4
Recent 7 Little Words Answers
The last 7 days of solutions
The answer to “they're frayed by stress” in 7 Little Words is NERVES — a 6-letter word from Puzzle 2, most recently Wednesday, September 16, 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.
“they're frayed by stress” answer
The 7 Little Words answer for “they're frayed by stress” (most recently Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Puzzle 2) is:
NERVES·6 letters
You can also reveal it one tile at a time above if you'd rather keep some of the challenge.
When else has “they're frayed by stress” appeared?
- September 16, 2026 (most recent) → NERVES
Why the answer is NERVES
Pressure can leave these feeling worn, jumpy, and on edge 😬
How to build NERVES 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 2's tiles for September 16, 2026 are:
SHR · IVE · LED · TOO · LED · MI · XER · NER · VES · NUM · BE · RED · CRY · BA · BY · FO · RM · AL · IZ · ES
NERVES is built by combining the tiles NER · VES in order. Because those tiles come out of the shared bank, locking in NERVES 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 2's clues for September 16, 2026 — tap any for its answer and tile breakdown:
- withered — 9 letters
- gallivanted (around) — 6 letters
- electronic audio hub — 5 letters
- equalled — 8 letters
- whining complainer — 7 letters
- makes official — 10 letters
Want all five puzzles in one place? The full day is on the September 16, 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 Wednesday puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “they're frayed by stress” in 7 Little Words?
The answer is NERVES, a 6-letter word from Puzzle 2, most recently Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “they're frayed by stress”?
6 letters: NERVES.
Which tiles spell NERVES?
The tiles NER · VES combine to spell NERVES, drawn from Puzzle 2's shared tile bank.
Can “they're frayed by stress” 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
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