If you’re obsessed with the daily NYT Strands puzzle, you’re in good company. This clever New York Times word game mixes classic word search mechanics with smart, theme-driven grids that can be surprisingly tricky to crack.
14 May 2026 NYT Strands Theme: “Men in tights”
Today’s Strands puzzle pays tribute to a legendary outlaw and his merry crew with the cheeky theme “Men in tights.” The grid is packed with references to life in Sherwood Forest, from familiar characters to the pursuits that made them famous.
Once you catch the Robin Hood connection, the board comes together quickly, but a couple of shorter words can still hide in plain sight if you’re not thinking about the full cast of characters.
14 May 2026 NYT Strands Hints
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Think of classic stories about a heroic archer who “robs from the rich and gives to the poor.”
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Several words describe either his role in society or the people around him.
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One answer points to where his band famously lives.
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Watch for activities and traits closely linked with bows, arrows, and stealth.
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The spangram is the name that ties all of these Robin Hood clues together.
14 May 2026 NYT Strands Answers
If you’d rather reveal everything and move on to tomorrow’s puzzle, here are all seven theme words for today’s grid:
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OUTLAW
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FOREST
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FRIAR
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DISGUISE
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SHERIFF
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ARCHERY
Each of these fits somewhere in the Robin Hood mythos, from his conflict with the sheriff to the woodland home of his band of rebels.
Spangram
The spangram for the 14 May 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is:
ROBINHOOD
This single line pulls the entire theme together, cutting across the grid to connect the outlaw, his allies, and his enemies in one satisfying sweep. It also serves as a strong anchor—spotting it early can make the remaining theme words much easier to locate.
How Strands works
Strands is a daily theme-based word search from the New York Times:
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You’re given a short theme clue at the start of the puzzle.
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The grid is filled with hidden words related to that idea.
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Words can travel in any direction, including diagonally, and can twist around corners.
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One special word, the spangram, stretches across the board and captures the theme in a single phrase or name.
Most daily puzzles hide around seven or eight theme words, with the spangram acting as the backbone that connects them.
How to get and use hints
Strands includes a built-in hint system to keep you from getting completely stuck:
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Find any non-theme word of four or more letters in the grid to earn a hint.
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Each valid extra word you submit adds one hint to your pool.
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Spending a hint reveals one of the remaining theme words automatically, clearing it on the grid so you can see new letter paths.
Try to save hints for when the board feels truly locked up; a single revealed answer can open up entire sections of the puzzle you hadn’t considered.
Tips to become a NYT Strands pro
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Lock onto the story. When the theme is something like “Men in tights,” ask yourself which movies, legends, or characters that phrase might be winking at.
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Hunt for the spangram early. Long, winding letter strings that seem to connect several clusters often spell out the central name or phrase.
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Cluster related words. After you find one character (like FRIAR), look nearby for other linked ideas (FOREST, SHERIFF, OUTLAW).
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Zigzag your scans. Don’t just read rows and columns—trace diagonals and corners, since Strands loves bending words around the grid.
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Use bonus words as tools. When you spot an obvious extra word, submit it for a hint instead of ignoring it; each free reveal can shave minutes off your solve time.
Final thoughts
The 14 May Strands puzzle is a fun homage to Robin Hood, blending recognizable characters with action-oriented words that feel right at home under the “Men in tights” banner. Once you see ROBINHOOD weaving through the grid, the rest of the solutions fall into place in a satisfying, storybook fashion—perfect for a quick but charming daily solve.
