NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, May 9 (game #797)
Looking for a different day?
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Friday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 8 (game #796).
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #797) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Garden variety
NYT Strands today (game #797) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
- PAIRS
- DIGGER
- GASP
- CHIN
- GUIDE
- TIDES
NYT Strands today (game #797) – hint #3 – spangram letters
How many letters are in today’s spangram?
• Spangram has 13 letters
NYT Strands today (game #797) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First side: left, 8th row
Last side: right, 8th row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #797) – the answers
The answers to today’s Strands, game #797, are…
- ARTICHOKE
- LETTUCE
- RADISH
- ONION
- ASPARAGUS
- SPANGRAM: SPRINGVEGGIES
- My rating: Easy
- My score: Perfect
I initially thought I was playing yesterday’s game again but the themes are subtly different — yesterday it was “garden variety” as in commonplace and today it’s “garden varieties” as in the many vegetables one may grow in an actual garden, specifically in springtime.
That sorted out, I spotted ARTICHOKE almost immediately. Well, that’s a lie, I spotted “choke” immediately and then wondered if it could actually be ARTICHOKE.
After getting LETTUCE it was all pretty rudimentary, as each word was layered over each over in a growing heap — a bit like compost I suppose.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Friday, May 8, game #796)
- BASIC
- PROSAIC
- COMMON
- ORDINARY
- PEDESTRIAN
- SPANGRAM: RUNOFTHEMILL
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.