Strands hints: May 5, 2026
Revisit the NYT Strands puzzle from May 5, 2026 (2026-05-05) with the theme clue, deeper hints, the spangram, and the solved grid all in one place.
Puzzle #966 · 2026-05-05
Step through the Strands hints
Theme clue: Get up!
7 theme words and one spangram. Reveal only the help you need.
Rows run from 1 to 8, top to bottom; columns from 1 to 6, left to right. A path may move to a neighbouring cell, including diagonally.
Layer 1 · Theme clue
Get up!
Layer 2 · Answer lengths and spangram direction
Theme answer lengths: 5, 4, 7, 5, 6, 4, 5 letters.
The spangram has 12 letters. Connects the left and right edges.
Layer 3 · Where to start looking
Choose one word without revealing the others.
Theme word 1: show a starting point
Starts with A at row 1, column 1.
Theme word 2: show a starting point
Starts with D at row 4, column 6.
Theme word 3: show a starting point
Starts with D at row 6, column 1.
Theme word 4: show a starting point
Starts with R at row 3, column 6.
Theme word 5: show a starting point
Starts with S at row 3, column 1.
Theme word 6: show a starting point
Starts with T at row 3, column 4.
Theme word 7: show a starting point
Starts with T at row 6, column 2.
Layer 4 · Individual theme answers and paths
Theme word 1: reveal answer
ALARM
Theme word 1: reveal path
(1, 1) → (1, 2) → (1, 3) → (1, 4) → (2, 4)
Theme word 2: reveal answer
DATE
Theme word 2: reveal path
(4, 6) → (5, 6) → (6, 6) → (7, 6)
Theme word 3: reveal answer
DISPLAY
Theme word 3: reveal path
(6, 1) → (7, 1) → (8, 1) → (8, 2) → (8, 3) → (8, 4) → (7, 4)
Theme word 4: reveal answer
RADIO
Theme word 4: reveal path
(3, 6) → (2, 6) → (1, 6) → (1, 5) → (2, 5)
Theme word 5: reveal answer
SNOOZE
Theme word 5: reveal path
(3, 1) → (4, 1) → (3, 2) → (4, 2) → (5, 1) → (5, 2)
Theme word 6: reveal answer
TIME
Theme word 6: reveal path
(3, 4) → (3, 5) → (4, 5) → (4, 4)
Theme word 7: reveal answer
TUNER
Theme word 7: reveal path
(6, 2) → (6, 3) → (6, 4) → (7, 3) → (7, 2)
Layer 5 · Spangram help
Show the spangram’s starting point
12 letters. Starts with D at row 2, column 1.
Reveal the spangram
DIGITALCLOCK
Reveal the spangram’s path
(2, 1) → (2, 2) → (2, 3) → (3, 3) → (4, 3) → (5, 3) → (5, 4) → (5, 5) → (6, 5) → (7, 5) → (8, 5) → (8, 6)
Layer 6 · Solved grid and all answers
Blue cells = theme words. Gold cells = spangram.
Theme answers: ALARM, DATE, DISPLAY, RADIO, SNOOZE, TIME, TUNER. Spangram: DIGITALCLOCK.
Theme clue
Get up!
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