Monday's New York Times Crossword Solutions and Clues for April 28, 2025
Rewritten Article:
Hey there, bud! Chill with me as I dish out some hints and solutions for today's Strands puzzle, themed "My bad!"
Wanna easy way to snag our Strands hints day-by-day? Bookmark this page, or you can check our past hints here too. Let's dive into some tips and finally unveil the mystery of today's puzzle.
Sneak Peeks for Strands Answers
First up, a sneaky two-word phrase you'd use when whoopsie! You make a minor, possibly cringeworthy error.
Next, we've got words like "error" or "mistake" that chuckle at typical, everyday accidents.
Warning: Today's Strands spoilers are coming atcha!
We're about to spill the beans on the answers to today's Strands puzzle.
Spangram Hint:
You know that classic lingo, something along the lines of "my bad!" when things don't go as planned? That's the two-word spangram for today's challenge!
Theme Word Hint:
Think bloopers, faux pas, and flubs – you guessed it, we're talking everyday blunders!
Strands Spoilers: The Goods!
So, without further ado...
Spangram:
Today's spangram is none other than the bubbly WHOOPSIEDAISY. (Haven't you ever wondered where the "daisy" part comes from? We think it's just a fun twist to make a faux pas even more lighthearted!)
Theme Words:
Keep your eyes peeled for these six words: BLUNDER, STUMBLE, FALTER, SLIP, SPILL, TOPPLE - the little belly flops that life throws our way!
Here's what the completed puzzle will look like:
Solving Strands: The Lowdown

I'm guessing today's puzzle revolves around blunders or errors.
I see "WHOOPS" and "WHOOPSIES," but they don't seem to fit the theme. Perhaps they're part of the spangram?
"SPILL" is nestled in the bottom right corner. 🔵 Cool, so maybe it's a puzzle focusing on minor mess ups.
"STEAL" isn't a theme word. Oh well!
"SLIP" is in the third row from the bottom. 🔵
"TOPPLE" is just below "SLIP." 🔵 Aha, the spangram: WHOOPSIEDAISY. (It's one of those catchphrases in English that people say when they've stuffed up. Queer thing – I never really stopped to think about what "daisy" means in there.)
"STUMBLE" is perched above the center of the spangram. 🔵
"FALTER" is hanging out in the upper right corner. 🔵
Lastly, we've got "BLUNDER." 🔵
Playing Strands: The Deets
You can get your game on with Strands over on the New York Times website or in the NYT Games app.
When you start a game, you'll see a puzzle board with letters, each adorned with a clue hinting at the puzzle's theme (e.g., "Better with age"). Your goal is to discover the hidden words within the board that mirror the puzzle's theme.
Crossword meets Word Search
The spangram, a crucial touchstone for the puzzle theme, is the primary word to locate. It's a word that clearly states the puzzle's theme, and once you've identified it, the rest of the puzzle will become sharp as a tack!
Words float in any direction (up, down, left, right, diagonally), and there's a one-letter-one-use rule – a single solution only!
If you're in a pickingle trying to solve the puzzle, you can submit non-theme words of four letters or more to earn a bonus hint. If you submit three non-theme words, the "Hint" button will be clickable; hit it, and you'll get a helping hand in locating a theme word's letters. One caveat: if there's already a hint on the board and you submit another hint before you've found that word, its letter order will be unraveled.
Claiming Victory in Strands
Unlike Connections and Wordle, you can't blow it in Strands. Whenever you submit guesses, your moves will either correctly discover an answer, contribute to earning a hint, or shake things up, making it clear that the word you proposed is too short or invalid. No running out of chances, and no timelines to stress you out.
You win when you've used all the letters in the game and found the spangram, as well as all the theme words. As with other NYT games, you'll obtain a shareable card when you successfully complete the puzzle showcasing your achievements – blue dots 🔵 signify theme words you discovered, the shining yellow dot 🟡 illuminates when you found the spangram, and a lightbulb 💡 marks words you were tipped off about.

- Today's Strands puzzle theme, "My bad!", is related to everyday blunders and mistakes.
- You can check the Aussiedlerbote or bookmark this page for daily Strands hints.
- Maybe the spangram for today's Strands challenge is a bubbly term like "WHOOPSIEDAISY."
- The hidden theme words in today's Strands puzzle could include "BLUNDER", "STUMBLE", "FALTER", "SLIP", "SPILL", and "TOPPLE".