Strands · Hints and answers
Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Tuesday's Strands board has six theme words plus a 10-letter spangram, under the NYT clue "Quite the pair". The ladder below climbs from the theme to the spangram - take one hint at a time.
Hints, in order
Hint 0 of 3Tap to show one hint at a time.
Hint 1 of 3
The NYT clue is "Quite the pair" - take it literally before you take it sideways. The spangram runs 10 letters and touches opposite sides of the board.
Hint 2 of 3
The six theme words run 5 to 8 letters (lengths: 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8). Every one of them belongs to the family the clue points at.
Hint 3 of 3
The spangram starts with F and ends with S. It is FANCYPANTS - find it and the rest of the board falls into place.
Spangram and theme words
The spangram first, then all six theme words.
SPANGRAM
FANCYPANTS
GAUCHOTheme word
HAREMTheme word
PALAZZOTheme word
SAILORTheme word
TOREADORTheme word
TUXEDOTheme word
Next on the board
NYT Mini Crossword →
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