#799Monday, May 11, 2026
Strands answers for May 11, 2026 — “A nice medley” (#799)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for May 11, 2026 (puzzle #799) is ODDSANDENDS, a 11-letter answer to the theme "A nice medley". The 5 theme words are HODGEPODGE, JUMBLE, MISHMASH, RAGBAG and VARIETY.
Where is each answer on the May 11 Strands board?
Here are all 5 theme words from the May 11, 2026 Strands puzzle, with the spangram last.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HODGEPODGE | 10 | row 1, column 1 | row 2, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| JUMBLE | 6 | row 5, column 4 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| MISHMASH | 8 | row 6, column 3 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| RAGBAG | 6 | row 5, column 6 | row 1, column 6 | bottom to top |
| VARIETY | 7 | row 3, column 1 | row 4, column 5 | left to right |
| ODDSANDENDS | 11 | row 5, column 1 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the May 11 Strands grid look like?
Every letter below appears in exactly one answer — the 6 words tile all 48 cells of the May 11, 2026 grid.
Spangram — 11 letters5 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads H-O-D-G-E-G, row 2 reads E-G-D-O-P-A, row 3 reads V-R-I-T-G-B, row 4 reads A-D-E-S-Y-A, row 5 reads O-S-D-J-A-R, row 6 reads H-I-M-U-M-N, row 7 reads H-M-E-L-B-D, and row 8 reads S-A-S-D-N-E.
How hard was the May 11 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #799 comes out above average, ahead of 73% of them.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the May 11 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #799 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the May 11 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on May 11, 2026?
The Strands clue for May 11, 2026 is “A nice medley”, on puzzle #799. It is answered by the spangram ODDSANDENDS, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on May 11, 2026?
The 5 Strands theme words for May 11, 2026 are HODGEPODGE, JUMBLE, MISHMASH, RAGBAG and VARIETY, plus the spangram ODDSANDENDS.
What was the big word in the May 11, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for May 11, 2026 is ODDSANDENDS, 11 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 8, column 3. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “A nice medley” mean?
The Strands theme “A nice medley” for May 11, 2026 means ODDSANDENDS — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands May 11, 2026?
Strands puzzle #799 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the May 11, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #799 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 73% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on May 11, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, May 11, 2026 is #799, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in May 2026, part of the full Strands archive.