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Some really old-timey words appear in today’s NYT Strands puzzle. I found a few of the answers difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
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Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: A nice medley
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: This and that.
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- PODGE, MELD, BEND, SHAME, DOPE, RIDE, HAMS, BARN, DOSE
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- JUMBLE, RAGBAG, VARIETY, HODGEPODGE, MISHMASH
Today’s Strands spangram
The completed NYT Strands puzzle for May 11, 2026.
Today’s Strands spangram is ODDSANDENDS. To find it, look for the O that is five letters down on the far-left vertical row, and wind across.
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