NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, May 19 (game #77)

Marc McLaren
·2 min read
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background.
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background.

If you're looking for an easy Strands puzzle today, then read on, read on… because that's exactly what you'll get. Frankly, I'd be amazed if you needed my clues, but you'll find them below anyway, because I'm helpful like that.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #77) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… ✨🔥🌹💀🤩👀💐

NYT Strands today (game #77) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SOCK

• MOTE

• FIRES

• STARE

• STRUT

• QUOTE

NYT Strands today (game #77) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Pictograms

NYT Strands today (game #77) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 4th row

• Last: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #77) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 77 on a blue background
NYT Strands answers for game 77 on a blue background

The answers to today's Strands, game #77, are…

  • EYES

  • FIRE

  • SKULL

  • ROSE

  • SPARKLES

  • BOUQUET

  • STARSTRUCK

  • SPANGRAM: EMOJIS

  • My rating: Easiest word puzzle in the history of word puzzles

  • My score: Perfect

I don't really get what the point of this was. The theme is a good one; emojis are fun, I use them often, they make for a good Strands puzzle. But, but, but, BUT, BUT… why give away the answers in the theme clue? Why, Mr and Mrs NYT, would you do that? The entire game simply because an exercise in saying what you see. There were ways to avoid this. Maybe just have one emoji as the clue, and challenge people to find various emoji words in the grid. But this was so easy as to be pointless.

As you might expect, I spotted EMOJIS, the spangram, immediately, then ticked off the others one by one with a minimum of fuss. The whole thing took me about one minute. One minute I'll never get back.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 18 May, game #76)

  • DIVIDE

  • MULTIPLY

  • CALCULATE

  • SUBTRACT

  • DERIVE

  • SPANGRAM: MATHEMATICS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.