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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Thank you”, May 25, 2026

Stuck on the May 25, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Thank you” puzzle (Strands #505 of 508 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 25, 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 25, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “Thank you”. 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 “Thank you” puzzle is 11 letters long and starts with the letter M. 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 25, 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 25, 2026 NYT Strands “Thank you” puzzle is MEMORIALDAY. 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 25, 2026 NYT Strands “Thank you” puzzle:

  • HONOR
  • PROTECTION
  • SACRIFICE
  • SERVICE
  • VIRTUE

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

Answers for the May 25, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Thank you" NYT Strands puzzle

The theme "Thank you" sets the scene for this Strands puzzle with a descriptive phrase that hints at what the hidden words have in common. Descriptive themes in Strands work like a title for a category — they paint a picture, and the theme words are the details that fill it in. This holidays & celebrations puzzle asks you to find words that fit within the world the theme describes, with the spangram acting as the key that connects them all.

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 11-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 Monday, Puzzle #505 is a more recent addition to the 508+ puzzle archive.

#505
Puzzle Number
5
Theme Words
11
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Thank you"

  • 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 11-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.
  • Longer words are often easier to find first because they have more distinctive letter sequences. Save short 4-5 letter words for last when the grid is more open.
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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.