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NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #438 (Thursday, May 15 2025)

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Need help with Strands #438? Here are some hints and the answers

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide/NY Times/Shutterstock)
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Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "Animal drives" — will make you kick yourself if you don't get it right away.

Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #438, 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 #438, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #438.

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

The official theme for NYT Strands #438 is... "Animal drives".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Car brands".

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

  • BAIT
  • BARB
  • TIME
  • LIMPET
  • BARE
  • GRUB

Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with A and ends with S.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's AUTOMOBILES.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #438?

Drumroll, please...

  • BEETLE
  • JAGUAR
  • BRONCO
  • MUSTANG
  • IMPALA
  • RABBIT

Strands #438

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was AUTOMOBILES.

Strands #438

“Animal drives”

💡🔵🔵🔵

🔵🔵🟡🔵

Hi Strands fans. A fun little puzzle this, even for someone who doesn't drive (living in London, you really don't have to).

Unfortunately, I didn't get what the theme of "Animal drives" refered to right away and used a clue. When it revealed BEETLE, it immediately clicked: this is a puzzle about cars that share names with creatures from the animal kingdom.

JAGUAR was the next obvious port of call, and I found it near the top of the board. BRONCO was next to it, in the top-left corner, and I then found MUSTANG opposite in the bottom right.

I then discovered IMPALA just above BEETLE in the bottom left, and that gave me enough space to figure out that the spangram was AUTOMOBILES, spelt from left to right.

All that was left was to connect RABBIT in the top-right corner to complete the puzzle.

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #437 right here.

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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. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

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