#426Saturday, May 3, 2025
Strands answers for May 3, 2025 — “Say "ah” (#426)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for May 3, 2025 (puzzle #426) is DOCTORSKIT, a 10-letter answer to the theme "Say "ah". The 5 theme words are GAUZE, STETHOSCOPE, SYRINGE, TAPE and THERMOMETER.
Where is each answer on the May 3 Strands board?
Strands #426 resolves to these 5 theme words plus the spangram DOCTORSKIT.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAUZE | 5 | row 8, column 6 | row 5, column 6 | bottom to top |
| STETHOSCOPE | 11 | row 2, column 3 | row 3, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SYRINGE | 7 | row 4, column 6 | row 1, column 6 | bottom to top |
| TAPE | 4 | row 5, column 4 | row 4, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| THERMOMETER | 11 | row 6, column 1 | row 7, column 4 | left to right |
| DOCTORSKIT | 10 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the May 3 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #426 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 10 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 T-T-D-O-G-E, row 2 reads H-E-S-C-I-N, row 3 reads E-O-O-T-Y-R, row 4 reads P-S-R-P-E-S, row 5 reads O-C-S-T-A-E, row 6 reads T-O-M-K-Z-U, row 7 reads H-M-E-R-I-A, and row 8 reads E-R-T-E-T-G.
How hard was the May 3 Strands puzzle?
Strands #426 scores hard on our difficulty index, harder than 84% 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 3 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #426 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the May 3 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on May 3, 2025?
The Strands clue for May 3, 2025 is “Say "ah”, on puzzle #426. It is answered by the spangram DOCTORSKIT, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on May 3, 2025?
The 5 Strands theme words for May 3, 2025 are GAUZE, STETHOSCOPE, SYRINGE, TAPE and THERMOMETER, plus the spangram DOCTORSKIT.
What was the big word in the May 3, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for May 3, 2025 is DOCTORSKIT, 10 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 to row 8, column 5. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Say "ah” mean?
The Strands theme “Say "ah” for May 3, 2025 means DOCTORSKIT — 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 3, 2025?
Strands puzzle #426 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the May 3, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #426 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 84% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on May 3, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, May 3, 2025 is #426, 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 2025, part of the full Strands archive.