#76Saturday, May 18, 2024
Strands answers for May 18, 2024 — “Part of the equation” (#76)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for May 18, 2024 (puzzle #76) is MATHEMATICS, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Part of the equation". The 5 theme words are CALCULATE, DERIVE, DIVIDE, MULTIPLY and SUBTRACT.
Where is each answer on the May 18 Strands board?
Here are all 5 theme words from the May 18, 2024 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALCULATE | 9 | row 2, column 2 | row 1, column 5 | left to right |
| DERIVE | 6 | row 8, column 3 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| DIVIDE | 6 | row 5, column 6 | row 6, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| MULTIPLY | 8 | row 6, column 5 | row 8, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| SUBTRACT | 8 | row 4, column 3 | row 6, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| MATHEMATICS | 11 | row 1, column 1 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the May 18 Strands grid look like?
Every letter below appears in exactly one answer — the 6 words tile all 48 cells of the May 18, 2024 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 M-A-L-U-E-T, row 2 reads A-C-C-A-L-A, row 3 reads T-H-E-M-T-I, row 4 reads B-U-S-V-C-S, row 5 reads T-R-D-I-I-D, row 6 reads A-C-T-E-M-U, row 7 reads I-V-E-L-P-L, and row 8 reads R-E-D-Y-I-T.
How hard was the May 18 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #76 comes out hard, ahead of 93% 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 18 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #76 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Heidi Erwin. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the May 18 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on May 18, 2024?
The Strands clue for May 18, 2024 is “Part of the equation”, on puzzle #76. It is answered by the spangram MATHEMATICS, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on May 18, 2024?
The 5 Strands theme words for May 18, 2024 are CALCULATE, DERIVE, DIVIDE, MULTIPLY and SUBTRACT, plus the spangram MATHEMATICS.
What was the big word in the May 18, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for May 18, 2024 is MATHEMATICS, 11 letters long, running from row 1, column 1 to row 4, 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 “Part of the equation” mean?
The Strands theme “Part of the equation” for May 18, 2024 means MATHEMATICS — 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 18, 2024?
Strands puzzle #76 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the May 18, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #76 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 93% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on May 18, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, May 18, 2024 is #76, 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.