We’re halfway through the week, puzzle lovers. Wednesday is here, and with it comes a brand-new NYT Strands to twist our minds and test our wits. If you’ve come looking for today’s hints, clues, and full solution breakdown, you’re in the right place. Just remember: spoilers ahead, so proceed only if you’re ready to uncover today’s answers.
If you’re looking for Tuesday’s Strands answers, you can find those here. But now, let’s dive into today’s challenge.
What is NYT Strands?
If you’re new to the game, Strands is the latest puzzle craze from the New York Times—a fun hybrid between word search and crossword logic. You’re given a themed puzzle board filled with seemingly random letters. The goal? Find all the hidden theme-related words, and uncover the special Spangram—a word or phrase that stretches from one side of the board to the other and encapsulates the puzzle’s theme.
Each day brings a new challenge, and while some are a breeze, others will leave you staring at the board, wondering if letters even make sense anymore.
Today’s Theme
Theme: Three’s a crowd
At first glance, this theme can be interpreted in a few ways. Is it about trios? Third wheels? Crowds of three? Not quite. Let’s look at the clues.
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Today’s Hints for Strands May 21, 2025
Instead of two, here are three themed clues to help you get started:
- Hint 1: Four shalt thou not count. Four’s too many and five’s not allowed.
- Hint 2: One is the loneliest number. You want company.
- Hint 3: Think pairs, doubles, duos—you get the idea.
We’re clearly dealing with twos, pairs, and partnerships—not trios. “Three’s a crowd,” after all, so two’s just right.
First Two Letters Of Each Word
If you’re still stuck, here are the starting pairs for each answer:
- CO
- TW
- PA
- TW
- MA
- PA
- DO
Use these to guide your search through the board.
Today’s Spangram
Spangram: DOUBLETROUBLE
This long and clever entry weaves across the board and sets the tone for the rest of the puzzle. It’s a cheeky reference to the theme—more than one, but not too many.
Full Word List
Here’s the full set of themed words for today’s puzzle:
- COUPLE
- TWOSOME
- PARTNERS
- TWINS
- MATCH
- PAIR
- DOUBLETROUBLE (Spangram)
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Puzzle Commentary
This was one of those Strands that didn’t immediately click for me. I spent a good two minutes just scanning and poking around before spotting my first word: PAIR. That led to TWINS, and suddenly the puzzle began to unravel.
From there, it was just a matter of finding the rest of the twos. MATCH felt like a wildcard but made sense in the context of romantic pairings or even matched sets. COUPLE and TWOSOME took a bit more digging, but with the theme guiding me, I eventually uncovered them.
The most satisfying moment? When I pieced together the spangram: DOUBLETROUBLE. A fun and fitting phrase that brought it all together. It was a nice reward after struggling through the earlier parts of the grid.
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How Did You Do?
Did you breeze through today’s puzzle or get stuck in a loop of random letters? Let me know how your Strands journey went over on Twitter or Threads. I love hearing how different people tackle these puzzles and where their minds go with each new theme.
If you’re enjoying these daily breakdowns, be sure to bookmark my blog for more puzzle guides, daily Wordle recaps, and coverage of all things games and brainteasers.
Thanks for playing—and I’ll see you back here tomorrow for another round!
