#807Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Strands answers for May 19, 2026 — “On the rise” (#807)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for May 19, 2026 (puzzle #807) is HIGHERGROUND, a 12-letter answer to the theme "On the rise". The 7 theme words are BUTTE, HILL, HUMMOCK, KNOLL, MOUND, RIDGE and SLOPE.
Where is each answer on the May 19 Strands board?
The 7 theme words for Strands on May 19, 2026 are listed below, followed by the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUTTE | 5 | row 5, column 6 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| HILL | 4 | row 2, column 6 | row 2, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| HUMMOCK | 7 | row 3, column 4 | row 1, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| KNOLL | 5 | row 5, column 4 | row 7, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| MOUND | 5 | row 1, column 1 | row 3, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| RIDGE | 5 | row 6, column 2 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SLOPE | 5 | row 4, column 1 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| HIGHERGROUND | 12 | row 8, column 1 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the May 19 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for May 19, 2026 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 12 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 M-K-M-M-L-I, row 2 reads O-C-O-U-L-H, row 3 reads U-N-D-H-T-E, row 4 reads S-L-O-P-T-U, row 5 reads D-I-E-K-N-B, row 6 reads G-R-E-R-O-L, row 7 reads E-G-H-G-R-L, and row 8 reads H-I-D-N-U-O.
How hard was the May 19 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #807 comes out above average, ahead of 79% 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 19 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #807 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 19 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on May 19, 2026?
The Strands clue for May 19, 2026 is “On the rise”, on puzzle #807. It is answered by the spangram HIGHERGROUND, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on May 19, 2026?
The 7 Strands theme words for May 19, 2026 are BUTTE, HILL, HUMMOCK, KNOLL, MOUND, RIDGE and SLOPE, plus the spangram HIGHERGROUND.
What was the big word in the May 19, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for May 19, 2026 is HIGHERGROUND, 12 letters long, running from row 8, 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 “On the rise” mean?
The Strands theme “On the rise” for May 19, 2026 means HIGHERGROUND — 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 19, 2026?
Strands puzzle #807 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the May 19, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #807 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 79% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on May 19, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 is #807, 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.