New York Times Strands Hints and Answers for May 17, 2024

Strands is a game with a big, seemingly random jumble of letters in a grid that need to be sorted through and put into words. Without knowing the words, the category, or much else, you’ll need to figure out what words are hiding in the grid that follow a theme.

While the rules of Strands allow for a helpful in-game hint system that you can use, some players might not like it for a variety of reasons. If this is you, and you are just wanting to see some general hints, spoilers, or even the full answer, it is all in the article below.

The NYT Games Strands Puzzle #75 for May 17, 2024

Today’s Strands clue is Looking for a Mate. There are eight things to find in this puzzle: one Spangram category and seven themed words.

New York Times Games Strands Clues

This innovative puzzle game has an in-game hint system, but it does spoil words for you. If you aren’t interested in having any of today’s words ruined but still want help, check out this section. It contains three clues, one in each of the expandable sections below.

General Hint 1

Hint 1
: This item is single, but it is looking for its other half.

General Hint 2

Hint 2
: What is half of a pair of pants?

General Hint 3

Hint 3
: A single of a thing that usually comes in a pair.

Spoilers for Two of the Words in Today’s Strands

Below, you can find two words that appear in today’s puzzle. Each expandable section contains only one word along with its position in the letter jumble of this challenging puzzle game.

Spoiler 1

Spoiler 2

The Answer to Today’s New York Times Games Strands

If you’re still stuck on the New York Times Games Strands puzzle for today, check out the expandable section below. In it, you can find the full answer to the puzzle, including all the themed words and where they go in the grid.

The category for today is
Paired
. The words are Plier, Mitten, Chopstick, Earplug, Bookend, Tong, and Wing.

Today’s Strands Explained

Still don’t get it? Below, you can find the explanation for the Spangram, the themed words, the clue, and how they all work together.

The clue,
looking for a mate
, refers to how all of these things are singular objects usually found
paired
with another of the same object, as in one chopstick.

Want to play? Check out the New York Times Games Strands website available on almost any device with a browser.

Strands

Platform(s)

Web Browser

Released

March 4, 2024

Developer(s)

The New York Times Company

Publisher(s)

The New York Times Company

Genre(s)

Puzzle