Issue #802 Thu 14 May
NYT Strands Hints & Answer — May 14, 2026
Six theme words and a nine-letter spangram fill today's grid. Finding the long answer first may make the shorter ones easier to place.
Theme 3 reveals
Today's theme
A campfire's warmth cutting through the chill of a wooded night, while hushed voices plan something bold and slightly reckless.
The tradition of medieval English ballads and folk legend — cycles of stories passed down through manuscripts, minstrel performance, and popular retellings across the centuries.
Men in tights
Spangram 4 hints · 9 letters
The connector word
A compound proper noun — the name of a celebrated figure from English legend.
Two words merged without space or hyphen, both parts of a single person's identity, in the plain and unhurried register of a medieval storyteller.
Starts with R, ends with D.
ROBINHOOD
Group hint 1 reveal
Show all starting letters
Starting letters
- 1 A (7 letters)
- 2 D (8 letters)
- 3 F (6 letters)
- 4 F (5 letters)
- 5 O (6 letters)
- 6 S (7 letters)
Group hint 1 reveal
Show the first two letters of each
First two letters
- 1 AR (7 letters)
- 2 DI (8 letters)
- 3 FO (6 letters)
- 4 FR (5 letters)
- 5 OU (6 letters)
- 6 SH (7 letters)
Theme word 1 of 6 5 hints · 7 letters
A theme word
The Olympic sport that hinges on a drawn bowstring, a steady breath, and a painted target some distance downrange.
7 letters.
Starts with A.
Starts with AR.
ARCHERY
Theme word 2 of 6 5 hints · 8 letters
A theme word
What a spy adopts, what a costume party demands, and what a quick-change artist makes a living from: the act of concealing who you really are.
8 letters.
Starts with D.
Starts with DI.
DISGUISE
Theme word 3 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
An expanse of old growth trees stretching beyond the worked land — dim, layered, alive with sound, and vast enough that a person might wander for days without reaching the edge.
6 letters.
Starts with F.
Starts with FO.
FOREST
Theme word 4 of 6 5 hints · 5 letters
A theme word
A member of a wandering religious order — someone who took vows of poverty and travelled the roads preaching, rather than staying cloistered in one place.
5 letters.
Starts with F.
Starts with FR.
FRIAR
Theme word 5 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
Someone placed beyond the protection of the law — in older usage, quite literally, a person whose legal rights had been formally stripped away by a court.
6 letters.
Starts with O.
Starts with OU.
OUTLAW
Theme word 6 of 6 5 hints · 7 letters
A theme word
The elected or appointed official responsible for keeping order across a county — still the title used in many American counties and a staple of the Western genre.
7 letters.
Starts with S.
Starts with SH.
SHERIFF
Spoiler zone
Complete Strands answer
Open only the solution you want to see. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.
Reveal the spangram
Reveal all theme words
- ARCHERY
- DISGUISE
- FOREST
- FRIAR
- OUTLAW
- SHERIFF
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Strands on May 14, 2026. Every answer below helps you along without giving the game away — ready to see the full solution? See the complete Strands answer for May 14, 2026, or browse every Strands puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Strands on May 14, 2026?
NYT Strands on May 14, 2026 rates 2 out of 4 — a moderate challenge. There are 6 theme words to find, plus the spangram that ties them together.
Where does the May 14, 2026 Strands spangram start?
The spangram is 9 letters long and stretches right across the board. It begins with the letter "R" — the hints above ease you toward the rest one step at a time, without spelling it out.
What is the theme of NYT Strands on May 14, 2026?
We keep the theme under wraps here so nothing is spoiled — but the ladder above walks you into it, starting with the puzzle's overall vibe. Want it stated outright, with the spangram and all 6 words? Open the answer section on this page.
Today
- Difficulty
- Steady
- At a glance
- 6 theme words · 9-letter spangram
Today on Cluestand
Today
- Difficulty
- Steady
- At a glance
- 6 theme words · 9-letter spangram