NYT Strands Hints & Answer — Garden variety, May 8, 2026

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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Garden variety”, May 8, 2026

Stuck on the May 8, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Garden variety” puzzle (Strands #488 of 488 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 8, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the May 8, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “Garden variety”. 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 “Garden variety” puzzle is 12 letters long and starts with the letter R. 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 8, 2026 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 8, 2026 NYT Strands “Garden variety” puzzle is RUNOFTHEMILL. 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 8, 2026 NYT Strands “Garden variety” puzzle:

  • BASIC
  • COMMON
  • ORDINARY
  • PEDESTRIAN
  • PROSAIC

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

Answers for the May 8, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Garden variety" NYT Strands puzzle

"Garden variety" — 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 nature & animals 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. The 12-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 Friday, Puzzle #488 is a more recent addition to the 488+ puzzle archive.

#488
Puzzle Number
5
Theme Words
12
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Garden variety"

  • 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.
  • The long 12-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 the theme seems abstract, look for concrete nouns first. Most Strands puzzles hide everyday words (objects, animals, foods, places) rather than abstract concepts.
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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.