Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, Answers For Friday, May 8 (Garden Variety)

InnovationGamingToday’s NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, Answers For Friday, May 8 (Garden Variety)ByPaul Tassi,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet.Follow AuthorMay 07, 2026, 10:00pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.StrandsNYTLooking for Thursday’s Strands hints, spangram and answers? You can find them here:ForbesToday’s NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, Answers For Thursday, May 7 (Go Right Ahead)By Paul TassiJust a regular Strands today, but you’ll see in a bit how that is a hint in and of itself. How To Play StrandsThe New York Times’ Strands puzzle is a play on the classic word search. It’s in beta for now, which means it’ll only stick around if enough people play it every day.There’s a new game of Strands to play every day. The game will present you with a six by eight grid of letters. The aim is to find a group of words that have something in common, and you’ll get a clue as to what that theme is. When you find a theme word, it will remain highlighted in blue.You’ll also need to find a special word called a spangram. This tells you what the words have in common. The spangram links two opposite sides of the board. While the theme words will not be a proper name, the spangram can be a proper name. When you find the spangram, it will remain highlighted in yellow.Be warned: You’ll need to be on your toes.“Some themes are fill-in-the-blank phrases. They may also be steps in a process, items that all belong to the same category, synonyms or homophones,” The New York Times notes. “Just as she varies the difficulty of Wordle puzzles within a week, [Wordle and Strands editor Tracy] Bennett plans to throw Strands solvers curveballs every once in a while.”MORE FOR YOUWhat Is Today’s Strands Hint?Time to do the NYT hint and then my own hint after that:Garden VarietyAnd m...