Issue #803 Fri 15 May
NYT Strands Hints & Answer — May 15, 2026
A nine-letter spangram and six theme words. Today's puzzle rewards readers who let the rungs do their work — the early hints set mood, the later ones name the shape; jump rungs and you'll likely circle the answer twice.
Theme 3 reveals
Today's theme
A drawer pulled open in a hushed museum gallery, copperplate labels yellowing under glass, the air dry with the cool tang of preservative.
Mammalian taxonomy as used by zoologists and field guides — the formal family names that group related carnivores under one Latin label.
Weaselly wascals
Spangram 4 hints · 9 letters
The connector word
A noun phrase — a Latinate label for an animal family in zoology.
A single English plural word lifted directly from biological nomenclature, ending in the recognisable suffix that signals 'members of this taxonomic clade'.
Starts with M, ends with S.
MUSTELIDS
Group hint 1 reveal
Show all starting letters
Starting letters
- 1 B (6 letters)
- 2 F (6 letters)
- 3 M (6 letters)
- 4 O (5 letters)
- 5 P (7 letters)
- 6 W (9 letters)
Group hint 1 reveal
Show the first two letters of each
First two letters
- 1 BA (6 letters)
- 2 FE (6 letters)
- 3 MA (6 letters)
- 4 OT (5 letters)
- 5 PO (7 letters)
- 6 WO (9 letters)
Theme word 1 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
A stocky, striped-faced burrower famous for digging deep underground homes; the name doubles as a verb meaning to pester someone with repeated questions.
6 letters.
Starts with B.
Starts with BA.
BADGER
Theme word 2 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
A long, slinky domesticated hunter once kept by Tudor courtiers and rural rabbit-catchers; the name doubles as a verb meaning to dig out a hidden fact.
6 letters.
Starts with F.
Starts with FE.
FERRET
Theme word 3 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
A nimble, bushy-tailed tree-climber found across European pine forests, prized historically for its rich brown pelt and rarely seen by a quiet walker.
6 letters.
Starts with M.
Starts with MA.
MARTEN
Theme word 4 of 6 5 hints · 5 letters
A theme word
A playful, web-footed swimmer that floats on its back to crack shells on its chest; populations along clean British rivers have recovered notably in recent decades.
5 letters.
Starts with O.
Starts with OT.
OTTER
Theme word 5 of 6 5 hints · 7 letters
A theme word
A dark-masked European hunter glimpsed at dusk in farmland and hedgerows; the same word doubles as American slang for an underhanded or untrustworthy character.
7 letters.
Starts with P.
Starts with PO.
POLECAT
Theme word 6 of 6 5 hints · 9 letters
A theme word
A powerfully built northern scavenger known for taking on prey several times its own size; the name was famously borrowed for a clawed comic-book antihero.
9 letters.
Starts with W.
Starts with WO.
WOLVERINE
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
- BADGER
- FERRET
- MARTEN
- OTTER
- POLECAT
- WOLVERINE
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Strands on May 15, 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 15, 2026, or browse every Strands puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Strands on May 15, 2026?
NYT Strands on May 15, 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 15, 2026 Strands spangram start?
The spangram is 9 letters long and stretches right across the board. It begins with the letter "M" — 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 15, 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