There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list,

Today's spangram answer on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, is LINEDANCE. Morgan thought she was dining in exchange for promotion. "There was a clear miscommunication," she said.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.