If you happen to’re in search of hints and solutions for Strands for Sunday, Could 3, 2026, learn on—I’ll share some clues and suggestions, and eventually the answer to the puzzle with the theme “One thing’s fishy.”
For a straightforward technique to come again to our Strands hints every single day, bookmark this web page. You can even discover our previous hints there as properly, in case you wish to know what you missed in a earlier puzzle. (If you happen to play Wordle or Connections, try our hints for these video games, too.)
Under, I’ll provide you with some indirect hints at as we speak’s Strands solutions. And farther down the web page, I’ll reveal the spangram and the solutions. Scroll slowly and take simply the hints you want!
Credit score: Strands/NYT
Trace for the spangram in as we speak’s Strands puzzle
If you happen to noticed one thing out of the bizarre, you may make this two-word comment.
Trace for the theme phrases in as we speak’s Strands puzzle
Humorous descriptors.
BEWARE: Spoilers comply with for as we speak’s Strands puzzle!
We’re about to provide away the solutions to as we speak’s Strands puzzle.
What’s the spangram in as we speak’s Strands?
At this time’s spangram is THATSODD.
What are the theme phrases in as we speak’s Strands?
The theme phrases as we speak are STRANGE, WEIRD, PECULIAR, UNUSUAL, BIZARRE, QUIRKY.
Right here’s what the board seems to be like when the puzzle is solved:
Credit score: Strands/NYT
How I solved as we speak’s Strands
The phrase “fishy” can imply “suspicious” or “unusual.” It might additionally simply be about literal fish. Let’s see.
QUARTER isn’t a theme phrase. Neither are QUART or QUARTS. Ah, it’s QUIRKY. 🔵
BIZARRE is above QUIRKY. 🔵
STRANGE is within the higher left nook. 🔵
UNUSUAL is within the higher proper. 🔵
I see ODD, in order that’s in all probability a part of the spangram. Yep, THATSODD. 🟡
What do you assume up to now?
WEIRD is beneath STRANGE. 🔵
Lastly, PECULIAR. 🔵
Strands #791 “One thing's fishy” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵
Learn how to play Strands
You’ll find the Strands recreation on the New York Instances web site and within the NYT Video games app.
While you begin taking part in, you’ll see a recreation board with an assortment of letters, flanked by a clue that provides a touch on the board’s theme—this might be a phrase, like “Higher with age.” Your job is to seek out the hidden phrases throughout the board that replicate the puzzle’s theme.
A crossword crossed with a phrase search
Crucial phrase to seek out is the “spangram,” a phrase that extra explicitly states the puzzle’s theme. (For instance, the spangram for the puzzle with the theme “Higher with age” is FERMENTED, which describes merchandise which can be, you guessed it, higher with age.) The spangram will span the whole recreation board, both from left to proper or prime to backside (therefore the identify). While you discover the spangram, it will likely be highlighted in yellow. Fixing the spangram often makes the remainder of the puzzle a lot simpler to finish.
In Strands, phrases can journey any path (up, down, left, proper, and diagonal), and you’ll solely use every letter as soon as. There is just one right resolution. While you appropriately determine one of many puzzle’s phrases (for instance, KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI), it will likely be highlighted in blue.
In case you are struggling to unravel the puzzle, you possibly can submit any non-theme phrases you see (so long as they’re 4 letters or extra) to obtain credit score towards a single trace. If you happen to submit three non-theme phrases, the “Trace” button might be clickable; if you happen to click on it, the entire letters in one of many theme phrases might be highlighted for you. You’ll nonetheless should hyperlink these highlighted letters in the suitable order to type one of many theme phrases. If there may be already a touch on the board and you utilize one other trace earlier than fixing for that phrase, that phrase’s letter order might be revealed.
Learn how to win Strands
Not like Connections and Wordle, you can’t fail Strands. While you submit guesses, you’ll both appropriately determine a solution, obtain credit score towards a touch, or the textual content will shake forwards and backwards, indicating that the phrase you submitted is just too brief or not legitimate. You possibly can’t run out of guesses, and there’s no time restrict.
You win if you’ve appropriately used all of the letters on the board, which means that you’ve got recognized the spangram and the entire theme phrases. Like different NYT video games, upon fixing the puzzle, you will note a shareable card that signifies the way you carried out that day: blue dots 🔵 point out theme phrases you discovered, the yellow dot 🟡 signifies if you discovered the spangram, and a lightbulb 💡 signifies phrases that you just obtained a touch for.
Not the day you are after? Here is the answer to yesterday’s Strands.