Daily New York Times Reveals Clues and Solution for Crossword Puzzle on May 9, 2025
Get ready to conquer Strands for Friday, May 9, 2025, with some slick hints and answers for the "Outsiders" theme! To catch up on our daily puzzle insights, remember to bookmark this page or check out our past hints.
Below, I've gathered oblique clues to help get you started on today's Strands answers. We'll also dive into the spangram and theme words. But remember, scroll slowly and take only as much as you need!
Sneaky hints for today's Strands spangram
Stuff typically sold at REI, Patagonia, and Summit Hut.
Sneaky hints for today's Strands theme words
Items and tools necessary for a multi-day outdoor adventure.
WARNING: Spoilers are coming for today's Strands puzzle!
We're about to reveal the answers to today's Strands puzzle.
What's the spangram in today's Strands?
Today's spangram is CAMPING GEAR.
What are the theme words in today's Strands?
The theme words are: TENT, BACKPACK, COOLER, LANTERN, GRILL, THERMOS.
When you perfectly solve today's Strands puzzle, it'll look something like this:
Solving the puzzle
This puzzle theme might seem vague, but don't worry, it's not about animals or other creatures that may live outside.
I see the word BACKPACK in the upper right, and that's a hit. 🔵 OK... maybe it's a reference to the book The Outsiders? Not quite yet.
I see the word COLGATE along the bottom, but it's not a hit, as expected.
TINT and TIME aren't theme words. Oh, but TENT is. 🔵 Got it, it's about hiking or outdoor activities, not The Outsiders.
There's GRILL in the center. 🔵
There's the spangram, forming the shape of a tent: CAMPING GEAR. 🟡
THERMOS is in the center of the puzzle-inside the tent, if you will. 🔵
COOLER is in the bottom left corner. 🔵
Lastly, LANTERN. 🔵
How to play Strands
Find Strands on the New York Times website or in the NYT Games app.
When you start playing, you'll see a game board with letters, flanked by a clue that gives a hint at the board's theme (like "Better with age"). Your job is to discover the hidden words within the board that mirror the puzzle's theme.
A dash of crossword and word search
The most critical word to find is the "spangram," a word that explicitly states the puzzle's theme (for example, "FERMENTED" for a puzzle that focuses on products that are better with time). You'll find the spangram spanning the entire board in either direction. Once you locate the spangram, it will be highlighted in yellow. Solving the spangram usually makes the rest of the puzzle a breeze.
In Strands, words can travel in any direction (up, down, left, right, and diagonal), and you will only use each letter once. There is only one correct solution. When you correctly identify one of the puzzle's words (like KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI), it will be highlighted in blue.
If you're having trouble solving the puzzle, submit any non-theme words (four letters or more) to receive credit for a single hint. If you submit three non-theme words, the "Hint" button will be active; if you click it, all of the letters in one of the theme words will be highlighted for you. You'll still have to arrange these highlighted letters in the correct order to form a single theme word. If there is already a hint on the board and you use another hint before solving for that word, that word's letter order will be revealed.
How to win Strands
Unlike Connections and Wordle, you can't fail Strands. When you submit guesses, you'll either discover an answer, receive a hint, or watch the grid vibrate back and forth, signaling a short or incorrect word. You can't run out of guesses or meet a time limit.
You win when you've correctly used all the letters on the board, meaning you've discovered the spangram and all of the theme words. Like other NYT games, upon solving a puzzle, you'll see a shareable card that shows your performance: blue dots 🔵 indicate theme words you found, the yellow dot 🟡 indicates when you found the spangram, and a lightbulb 💡 indicates words that you received a hint for[1].
[1] - Access the New York Times Strands FAQs for more detailed information about the game rules and mechanics.[2] - Strands Puzzle Tips and Tricks from PuzzleNation Blog[3] - Strands Cheatsheet from Erica Swallow on Medium[4] - Strands Puzzle Strategy from GameTheoryYYZ on YouTube[5] - Strands Tips and Tricks from Spencer Stahura on YouTube[6] - Reddit Discussion on Strands Tips and Strategies
- On May 9, 2025, the outdoor gear hut, Summit Hut, could be helpful for entertainment when playing Strands, just like REI and Patagonia.
- If you're still having trouble solving today's Strands puzzle, remember that it's a multi-day outdoor adventure-themed game, so books about hiking or camping might serve as useful hints.
- With the theme words being TENT, BACKPACK, COOLER, LANTERN, GRILL, and THERMOS, it's possible that entertainment related to these items or activities could bookmark some clues for today's Strands spangram, CAMPING GEAR.
- In 2025, after conquering Strands's "Outsiders" theme, gather around a campfire for a well-deserved relaxation and reminisce about the fun outdoor entertainment you encountered that day.
