Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, May 7, 2026 (Puzzle #795). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Go right ahead"
What It Really Means
Every word in today's puzzle relates to giving permission or granting approval. If someone says "go right ahead," they're signaling consent -- and that's the thread connecting all six theme words.
Think About...
- Words that mean "to give the green light" or "sign off on something"
- Formal and informal ways to authorize an action
- Synonyms for approval that can function as verbs
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Diagonal
Letter Count: 10 letters
Starting Zone: Fourth letter of the bottom row, moving up and to the left
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This spangram is a casual, two-word phrase that means "authorize" or "approve" -- think of a physical gesture of consent.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Picture someone in a meeting nodding their head to signal agreement. The spangram literally means "offer the nod of approval."
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is G, last letter is D
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GIVETHENOD
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: To officially accept or say yes to a proposal
Closer: A manager signs off on a project
Letter Clue: Starts with A, 7 letters total
Answer
APPROVE
Word 2
Vague: To allow something to happen through official channels
Closer: A city issues a document that lets you build a deck
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 6 letters total
Answer
PERMIT
Word 3
Vague: A formal word for giving authorization -- with a twist
Closer: A committee gives its official endorsement to a plan
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
SANCTION
Word 4
Vague: To give someone the green light
Closer: A parent says yes to their child going to a friend's house
Letter Clue: Starts with A, 5 letters total
Answer
ALLOW
Word 5
Vague: To confer approval, often with spiritual or ceremonial weight
Closer: A religious leader offers a prayer of approval over a union
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BLESS
Word 6
Vague: To grant official permission, often with paperwork involved
Closer: A government agency issues a credential to drive or operate a business
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 7 letters total
Answer
LICENSE
Full Answers
Spangram: GIVETHENOD
Theme Words:
- APPROVE
- PERMIT
- SANCTION
- ALLOW
- BLESS
- LICENSE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Trickiest Word: SANCTION (The word has a dual meaning -- it can mean both "to approve" and "to penalize" -- which might throw off solvers who know the secondary definition)
Our Take: A straightforward theme that rewards vocabulary knowledge rather than lateral thinking. The spangram "GIVETHENOD" is a playful, colloquial cap on an otherwise formal set of synonyms. If you breezed through this one, consider it a warm-up for tougher puzzles ahead.
