Loading puzzle...

NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Keeping an eye on things”, May 22, 2025

Stuck on the May 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Keeping an eye on things” puzzle (Strands #139 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 22, 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 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Keeping an eye on things”. 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 “Keeping an eye on things” puzzle is 8 letters long and starts with the letter T. 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 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 5 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 22, 2025 NYT Strands “Keeping an eye on things” puzzle is TAKECARE. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 5 theme words for the May 22, 2025 NYT Strands “Keeping an eye on things” puzzle:

  • CUSTODIAN
  • GUARDIAN
  • PROTECTOR
  • STEWARD
  • TRUSTEE

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

Answers for the May 22, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Keeping an eye on things" NYT Strands puzzle

"Keeping an eye on things" — a theme that invites you to explore a specific concept through the lens of this Strands puzzle. The phrase describes a mood, setting, or idea, and every theme word hidden in the 6×8 grid belongs to that same world. This movies & tv puzzle uses its descriptive title to guide your intuition. Start by brainstorming words that come to mind when you read the theme, then look for them on the board.

This puzzle has 5 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. With 8 letters, the spangram is mid-length — long enough to stand out in the grid but still requiring careful scanning to trace from edge to edge. Originally published on a Thursday, As puzzle #139 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#139
Puzzle Number
5
Theme Words
8
Spangram Letters
Easy
Difficulty

How to approach "Keeping an eye on things"

  • The theme paints a picture. Brainstorm 5-10 words that come to mind when you read it, then scan the grid for those words or close variants.
  • Start by scanning the grid edges for the spangram — it must connect two opposite sides. Once you find it, the theme becomes clear and the remaining words are easier to spot.
  • Try reading the grid edges clockwise. The spangram's first and last letters will be on opposite edges, and edge letters are the fastest way to identify spangram candidates.
PreviousAll NYT Strands answersNext

More puzzles from May 2025

31 Sat
Next to the bobby pins
30 Fri
And here's the kicker ...
29 Thu
It's a little buggy
28 Wed
Top contenders
27 Tue
A strange new world
26 Mon
Body language
View all May puzzles

More NYT Strands puzzles

Sep 25
Simply divine
May 30
We'll be there
May 29
E-I-E-I-O
May 28
Talking scents
May 27
Ketchup or mustard?
May 25
Thank you
May 24
Turn, turn, turn
May 23
Staying alive

Sister Sites · More logic puzzles

Queens
Region logic, daily + 1,500 puzzles
Patches
Region-stitching puzzle
Tango
No 3-in-a-row pattern
Zip
Path-drawing puzzle
Mini Sudoku
Compact sudoku
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.