Jump to:

Today's NYT Strands hints and answer: solutions to game #816, May 28

News
By last updated

Need help with Strands #816? Here are some hints and the answers

NYT Strands on a cellphone
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide/NY Times/Shutterstock)
Jump to:
Strands today: Quick menu

1. Today's hints

2. Today's answer

3. Yesterday's answer

Need a bit of help with NYT Strands today? No shame in that, and you've come to the right place. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #816 as well as the answers, should it come to that.

We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #816, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #816.

Latest Videos From

Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints

The official theme for NYT Strands #816 is... "Talking scents".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Smelling great."

If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:

  • GAMER
  • SMUG
  • SEAL
  • RAGE
  • FROG
  • CASE
  • DAWNS
  • NEAR
  • GRAM

Still struggling? The spangram touches two opposite sides of the board (but can start and end anywhere), and will give you a hint about the connection between the answers. Today, it starts with 'F' and ends in 'E'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's FRAGRANCE.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #816?

Drumroll, please...

  • PEAR
  • JASMINE
  • MUSK
  • BERGAMOT
  • SANDLEWOOD
  • NEROLI

Strands #816

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was FRAGRANCE.

Strands #816

“Talking scents”

🔵🔵💡🔵

🟡🔵🔵🔵

Hi Strands fans. A tricky one if you're not really up on your fragrances. Indeed, in the list of answers above, three have the squiggly red underline, suggesting even spellcheck hasn't heard of all of the perfume ingredients!

It actually started well enough, with me finding PEAR in the top-right corner and JASMINE to its left. Then, I was stumped, however, and used a clue to reveal MUSK in the middle.

MUSK was laid out in such a way that it was pretty clear the spangram would be between it and JASMINE, so I studied that area. Sure enough, I connected FRAGRANCE spelt backwards from the bottom of the board to the top.

This isolated BERGAMOT in the bottom-right corner, leaving me with two answers to find on the left-hand side. SANDLEWOOD was in the top-left corner, which just left NEROLI in the bottom left to complete the puzzle.

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Strands answers for game #815.

Strands #815

(Image credit: Alan Martin)
  • FOOTLONG
  • FRANKFURTER
  • WEENIE
  • BANGER
  • BRAT

...and the spangram was HOTDIGGITYDOG.

Strands #815

“Ketchup or mustard?”

🔵🔵🟡🔵

🔵🔵

Hi Strands fans. Even as someone who doesn't eat Hot Dogs very often, this was simple. The question "Ketchup or mustard?" can surely only refer to one thing.

Sure enough, I found FOOTLONG in the top-right corner, with FRANKFURTER below it. I was then able to connect the spangram of HOTDIGGITYDOG across the two lines to their left.

Three answers were left to find in the two remaining columns. WEENIE was at the bottom, with BANGER above it. That just left BRAT in the top-left corner to complete the puzzle.

Alan Martin
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.