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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Alan Martin

NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #428 (Monday, May 5 2025)

NYT Strands on a cellphone.
Strands today: Quick menu

Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "On the side'" — may leave you feeling hungry.

Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #428, 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 #428, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #428.

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

The official theme for NYT Strands #428 is... "On the side".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Crispy and delicious".

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

  • CUTS
  • CRATES
  • RICE
  • MEEK
  • RICHER
  • GRIST
  • EAST

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

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's FRENCHFRIES.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #428?

Drumroll, please...

  • STEAK
  • CRINKLE
  • CURLY
  • WAFFLE
  • SHOESTRING
  • HOME
(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was FRENCHFRIES

Strands #428

“On the side”

🔵🔵🔵🔵

🔵🟡🔵

Hi Strands fans. Not a great puzzle for those looking to eat well, as I am at the moment. Shouldn't have writtent this up when feeling hungry, really.

Because "On the side" is, of course, all about french fries. I didn't figure that out right away, as the first word I found was STEAK at the top of the grid, which sent me off in the wrong direction. But when I found CRINKLE in the bottom right, I remembered that 'steak' is also a kind of fry, and I was away.

I found CURLY (definitely the best one) above it, and then WAFFLE in the bottom-left corner. SHOESTRING was in the top-left corner, which neatly cleared a path for the spangram of FRENCHFRIES.

All that was left was to fill in HOME in the middle 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 #427 right here.

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