NYT Strands Hints and Answers for May 8, 2026 (#796)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of May 8, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of May 8, 2026? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for May 8, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Garden variety
Today’s theme is “Garden variety”. All 5 theme words fit that idea — and the spangram names it outright.
Hint 1A gentle clue
The 5 answers belong to one everyday scene. Picture the scene first, then look for its pieces on the board. The spangram runs down the grid, top edge to bottom, so look for a long vertical path first.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, C, O, P, P. Two of them start with the same letter (P).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 letters long. The shortest is 5 letters, the longest 10.
SpangramThe spangram
RUNOFTHEMILL
It is a single word of 12 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with R, ends with L.
AnswersAll theme words
- BASIC5 letters
- COMMON6 letters
- PROSAIC7 letters
- ORDINARY8 letters
- PEDESTRIAN10 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.