NYT Reveals Hints and Solution for Thursday's Crossword Puzzle on May 8, 2025
Rewritten Article:
Yo, peeps! Need a hand with the Strands puzzle on May 8, 2025, all about high-end vibes? I've got your back! Bookmark this page for daily clues, and don't forget to check out our previous puzzles too.
Here's what you need to know to crack today's puzzle:
Sneaky Slang for Spangram:
When you spot something snazzy and pricey, like a pricey diamond necklace or a lavish watch, you might say this phrase.
Words to Reveal the Theme:
These words describe a fancy or expensive thing.
SPOILER ALERT – Answers Ahead for May 8, 2025 Strands Puzzle!
We're about to show you the answers for today's puzzle, so brace yourself!
Today's Spangram:
Looking fancy never felt so satisfying! The Spangram for today's puzzle is OOH SHINY.
Theme Words:
Here's your golden ticket to living the high life! Today's theme words are: GAUDY, SNAZZY, DELUXE, LAVISH, EXTRAVAGANT, and ORNATE.
Here's what the board looks like when you conquer the puzzle:
How'd I Do It?
I bet you're wondering how I solved it. Let me break it down for you:
Time to get fancy! The clue here is "fancy," and the Zs at the bottom left corner caught my attention. Next, I found SNAZZY!
I thought GAUDY might fit the bill, and it sure does!
At first, I thought the X might be part of EXOTIC, but no go.
Something shiny was catching my eye, and then it hit me – OOH SHINY for the Spangram!
That made it easy to see EXTRAVAGANT in the upper left corner.
LAVISH was next to join the party.
I struggled a bit with these last few letters. I could make EXUDE, but that's not a theme word.
Ahh, there's ORNATE, so elegant!
Finally, DELUXE wrapped things up.
Mastering the Game
You can find Strands on the New York Times website and in the NYT Games app.
When you start playing, you'll see a puzzle with letters and a hint about the board's theme, like "Living the high life." Your goal is to find the hidden words that reflect the puzzle's theme.
Crossword meets word search
The most crucial word to find is the Spangram, which directly reveals the puzzle's theme. For example, the Spangram for the puzzle about "Living the high life" would be LIVING. When you find the Spangram, it's highlighted in yellow[2]. Solving the Spangram usually unlocks the rest of the puzzle.
Words in the puzzle can travel up, down, left, right, and diagonally, and you'll only use each letter once[2]. There's only one correct solution[3]. When you discover one of the puzzle's words (e.g., KIMCHI, MISO, KOMBUCHA), it's highlighted in blue[3].
If you're stuck, you can submit non-theme words (four letters or more) to receive hints. If you submit three non-theme words, the hint button will become clickable. Clicking it will highlight all letters in one theme word for you[3]. If a hint is already on the board and you use another hint before solving that word, that word's letters will be shown in the correct order[3].
The Grand Finale
Unlike other games, you can't fail Strands. When you submit guesses, you'll either find the answer, receive hints, or the playfield will jiggle, indicating an incorrect submission. There's no time limit or guess limit[3].
You win when you've used all the letters on the board, meaning that you've discovered the Spangram and the theme words. Upon solving the puzzle, you'll see a shareable card indicating your performance. Blue dots 🔵 show the theme words you found, a yellow dot 🟡 shows when you found the Spangram, and a lightbulb 💡 marks the words you received help for[2][3].
References:
[1] Glittery sayings
[2] New York Times – Strands Rules
[3] New York Times – Tips for Strands
All eyes on Thursday, as we tackle the Strands puzzle themed 'Entertainment'. It's all about shiny, luxurious experiences, so expect a hint involving the words 'oohshiny', 'gaudy', 'deluxe', 'lavish', 'ornate', and 'snazzy'. Better bookmark this page for daily clues and join the social-media buzz for discussions and solutions.
