Issue #806 Mon 18 May
NYT Strands Hints & Answer — May 18, 2026
Six theme words orbit one six-letter spangram today. A mid-week grid that rewards a steady eye and a little patience — find the long thread first and the rest tends to fall into place.
Theme 3 reveals
Today's theme
A thumbnail splits the peel and a fine bright mist hangs in the morning light; the whole kitchen suddenly smells sharp, clean, and a little sweet.
Botany and the grocery trade — the way fruit is sorted, named, and stacked under shop lights and in orchard catalogues.
The daily rind
Spangram 4 hints · 6 letters
The connector word
A noun phrase — a classifying word used by growers and grocers.
One short Latin-rooted item of vocabulary, a single block of letters with nothing dividing it — a plain label stencilled on a wooden crate at market.
Starts with C, ends with S.
CITRUS
Group hint 1 reveal
Show all starting letters
Starting letters
- 1 C (10 letters)
- 2 K (7 letters)
- 3 L (4 letters)
- 4 O (6 letters)
- 5 P (6 letters)
- 6 T (9 letters)
Group hint 1 reveal
Show the first two letters of each
First two letters
- 1 CL (10 letters)
- 2 KU (7 letters)
- 3 LI (4 letters)
- 4 OR (6 letters)
- 5 PO (6 letters)
- 6 TA (9 letters)
Theme word 1 of 6 5 hints · 10 letters
A theme word
A small, seedless, easy-peel hybrid often tucked into a winter stocking or a child's lunchbox; sweeter and gentler than its larger cousins.
10 letters.
Starts with C.
Starts with CL.
CLEMENTINE
Theme word 2 of 6 5 hints · 7 letters
A theme word
Tiny and oval, eaten whole skin and all — the trick is that the outside is sweet while the inside puckers your mouth. A novelty on cheese boards.
7 letters.
Starts with K.
Starts with KU.
KUMQUAT
Theme word 3 of 6 5 hints · 4 letters
A theme word
Small, green, and bracingly sour; a wedge crowns a margarita and its juice is the soul of a certain pale Florida pie.
4 letters.
Starts with L.
Starts with LI.
LIME
Theme word 4 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
Both a fruit and the colour named after it — the breakfast-juice default, segmented into a dozen crescents, and a notorious rhyming dead end for poets.
6 letters.
Starts with O.
Starts with OR.
ORANGE
Theme word 5 of 6 5 hints · 6 letters
A theme word
The hefty giant of the clan, swaddled in spongy white pith so thick the edible part hides deep inside; an ancestor of the grapefruit.
6 letters.
Starts with P.
Starts with PO.
POMELO
Theme word 6 of 6 5 hints · 9 letters
A theme word
A loose-skinned, deep-amber cousin that slips free of its jacket in seconds; its name doubles as a vivid shade between red and gold.
9 letters.
Starts with T.
Starts with TA.
TANGERINE
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
- CLEMENTINE
- KUMQUAT
- LIME
- ORANGE
- POMELO
- TANGERINE
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Strands on May 18, 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 18, 2026, or browse every Strands puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Strands on May 18, 2026?
NYT Strands on May 18, 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 18, 2026 Strands spangram start?
The spangram is 6 letters long and stretches right across the board. It begins with the letter "C" — 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 18, 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 · 6-letter spangram
Today on Cluestand
Today
- Difficulty
- Steady
- At a glance
- 6 theme words · 6-letter spangram