#808Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Strands answers for May 20, 2026 — “No rush” (#808)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for May 20, 2026 (puzzle #808) is TAKEYOURTIME, a 12-letter answer to the theme "No rush". The 6 theme words are CALM, GENTLE, LEISURELY, PLACID, RELAXED and SLOW.
Where is each answer on the May 20 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #808 is 6 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALM | 4 | row 2, column 3 | row 4, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| GENTLE | 6 | row 1, column 3 | row 3, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| LEISURELY | 9 | row 6, column 5 | row 3, column 5 | bottom to top |
| PLACID | 6 | row 8, column 6 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| RELAXED | 7 | row 6, column 1 | row 5, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| SLOW | 4 | row 7, column 2 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| TAKEYOURTIME | 12 | row 1, column 4 | row 8, column 3 | top to bottom |
What did the May 20 Strands grid look like?
The grid below is six letters wide and eight rows deep, with every answer traced through the letters it uses.
Spangram — 12 letters6 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 T-N-G-T-E-R, row 2 reads L-E-C-A-L-U, row 3 reads E-L-A-K-Y-S, row 4 reads M-E-X-E-Y-I, row 5 reads E-D-A-U-O-E, row 6 reads R-L-T-R-L-D, row 7 reads W-S-I-M-I-L, and row 8 reads O-L-E-C-A-P.
How hard was the May 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands #808 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 71% 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 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #808 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 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on May 20, 2026?
The Strands clue for May 20, 2026 is “No rush”, on puzzle #808. It is answered by the spangram TAKEYOURTIME, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on May 20, 2026?
The 6 Strands theme words for May 20, 2026 are CALM, GENTLE, LEISURELY, PLACID, RELAXED and SLOW, plus the spangram TAKEYOURTIME.
What was the big word in the May 20, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for May 20, 2026 is TAKEYOURTIME, 12 letters long, running from row 1, column 4 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 “No rush” mean?
The Strands theme “No rush” for May 20, 2026 means TAKEYOURTIME — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands May 20, 2026?
Strands puzzle #808 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the May 20, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #808 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 71% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on May 20, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 is #808, 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.