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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Keep on keeping on”, May 13, 2025

Stuck on the May 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Keep on keeping on” puzzle (Strands #130 of 509 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the May 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the May 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Keep on keeping on”. Every theme word and the spangram connects back to this phrase, so think about what related words might fit a 6×8 grid of 48 letters before you start scanning.

Hint 2: Spangram length and first letterReveal

The spangram for the “Keep on keeping on” puzzle is 10 letters long and starts with the letter S. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the May 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 6 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the May 13, 2025 NYT Strands “Keep on keeping on” puzzle is STAYSTRONG. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 6 theme words for the May 13, 2025 NYT Strands “Keep on keeping on” puzzle:

  • ABIDE
  • ENDURE
  • LAST
  • PERSEVERE
  • PERSIST
  • SURVIVE

Plus the spangram STAYSTRONG, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.

Answers for the May 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Keep on keeping on" NYT Strands puzzle

The theme "Keep on keeping on" tells you exactly where to focus. In Strands, imperative themes tend to be more straightforward than wordplay-based ones — the puzzle maker is pointing you toward a specific category of words. This general puzzle hides its theme words in the 6×8 grid, and they all relate to the action or concept described in the title. The spangram names the overarching idea.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. The 10-letter spangram is notably long, consuming a good chunk of the grid's 48 letters. Its size makes it easier to find if you focus on the grid's edges. Originally published on a Tuesday, As puzzle #130 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#130
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
10
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Keep on keeping on"

  • The theme reads as a direct instruction. Take it literally as your starting strategy — what words would you associate with following this command?
  • The long 10-letter spangram is your best starting point. Scan the edges of the grid — the spangram must start on one side and end on the opposite side.
  • If you get stuck, try finding non-theme words (any valid 4+ letter English word) to earn hints. Each hint reveals one letter of an unsolved theme word.
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Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive of past Strands puzzles. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. NYT Strands is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Today's daily puzzle is free at nytimes.com/games/strands.