Hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle are now available for the game released Tuesday, May 6. The word game challenges players to uncover hidden words within a letter grid, all connected by a central theme and a special spangram.
Players are given a one-line clue to guide their search for a set of related words and the spangram. The official strands hint provided for today's puzzle is "I'm in lobe."
The spangram discovered in today's grid is EARRINGS. This word spans across the letter board, linking different sections.
The theme words, which function as keywords related to the spangram, are TEARDROP, CHANDELIER, CLIP ON, HOOP, PLUG, CUFF, and STUD. These seven words, along with the spangram, complete the puzzle grid.
Strands is a variation of a traditional word search played on a six-by-eight grid. Players connect adjacent letters to form words, which can run vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Finding three valid non-theme words unlocks an additional strands hint.
The New York Times offers the game daily on its NYT website and through its mobile games application. It appears alongside other popular puzzles published by the company. Players can learn more about word games through Forbes Gaming.
Each letter in the grid is utilized exactly once across all theme words and the spangram. The challenge often involves identifying how different words fit together spatially within the confined space.
One player reported successfully locating the spangram early in their attempt. They described systematically searching the grid to find the remaining theme words, eventually uncovering all needed terms without using any generated hints.
