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Monday, May 11, 2026  ·  Your daily stash of puzzle hints. Answers stay hidden until you ask for them.
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Strands · Hints and answers

Strands hints and answers for Monday, May 11, 2026

NYT theme clue: "A nice medley" · Edited by Tracy Bennett

Monday's Strands board has five theme words plus a 11-letter spangram, under the NYT clue "A nice medley". The ladder below climbs from the theme to the spangram - take one hint at a time.

Hints, in order

Hint 0 of 3

Tap to show one hint at a time.

Hint 1 of 3

The NYT clue is "A nice medley" - take it literally before you take it sideways. The spangram runs 11 letters and touches opposite sides of the board.

Hint 2 of 3

The five theme words run 6 to 10 letters (lengths: 6, 6, 7, 8, 10). Every one of them belongs to the family the clue points at.

Hint 3 of 3

The spangram starts with O and ends with S. It is ODDSANDENDS - find it and the rest of the board falls into place.

Spangram and theme words

The spangram first, then all five theme words.

SPANGRAM
ODDSANDENDS
HODGEPODGETheme word
JUMBLETheme word
MISHMASHTheme word
RAGBAGTheme word
VARIETYTheme word
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