#75Friday, May 17, 2024
Strands answers for May 17, 2024 — “Looking for a mate” (#75)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for May 17, 2024 (puzzle #75) is PAIRED, a 6-letter answer to the theme "Looking for a mate". The 7 theme words are BOOKEND, CHOPSTICK, EARPLUG, MITTEN, PLIER, TONG and WING.
Where is each answer on the May 17 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #75 is 7 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOOKEND | 7 | row 4, column 6 | row 6, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| CHOPSTICK | 9 | row 1, column 6 | row 2, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| EARPLUG | 7 | row 7, column 3 | row 5, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| MITTEN | 6 | row 3, column 2 | row 4, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| PLIER | 5 | row 1, column 2 | row 2, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| TONG | 4 | row 8, column 6 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| WING | 4 | row 8, column 5 | row 8, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| PAIRED | 6 | row 4, column 1 | row 3, column 6 | left to right |
What did the May 17 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #75 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 6 letters7 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 L-P-I-T-S-C, row 2 reads I-R-C-K-P-H, row 3 reads E-M-I-T-O-D, row 4 reads P-N-E-T-E-B, row 5 reads G-A-I-R-O-O, row 6 reads U-D-N-E-K-G, row 7 reads L-A-E-I-O-N, and row 8 reads P-R-N-G-W-T.
How hard was the May 17 Strands puzzle?
Strands #75 scores easy on our difficulty index, harder than 4% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
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 17 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #75 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Natalie Erjavec. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the May 17 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on May 17, 2024?
The Strands clue for May 17, 2024 is “Looking for a mate”, on puzzle #75. It is answered by the spangram PAIRED, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on May 17, 2024?
The 7 Strands theme words for May 17, 2024 are BOOKEND, CHOPSTICK, EARPLUG, MITTEN, PLIER, TONG and WING, plus the spangram PAIRED.
What was the big word in the May 17, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for May 17, 2024 is PAIRED, 6 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 3, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Looking for a mate” mean?
The Strands theme “Looking for a mate” for May 17, 2024 means PAIRED — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 7 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands May 17, 2024?
Strands puzzle #75 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the May 17, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #75 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 4% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on May 17, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, May 17, 2024 is #75, 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 2024, part of the full Strands archive.