Today's NYT Strands is live for Tuesday, May 19, 2026 (Puzzle #807). 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: "On the rise"
What It Really Means
Every answer in this puzzle is a type of raised landform or elevated terrain feature. If it sticks up from the ground, it's fair game.
Think About...
- Geographic features that go up, not down
- Different sizes of elevated land, from small bumps to large formations
- Words geologists and hikers use to describe high ground
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Horizontal (wraps across and up)
Letter Count: 12 letters
Starting Zone: Begins at the far left of the bottom row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This spangram describes the overall concept of being above the surrounding area -- it's the umbrella term for what all theme words share.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think of a two-word phrase you'd use to describe a strategic elevated position in battle or a place to escape floodwaters.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is H, last letter is D
---
---
---
---
---
HIGHERGROUND
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A small rounded elevation, often found in a field or grassland.
Closer: Think of a grassy bump on a golf course or a natural pasture.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 7 letters total
Answer
HUMMOCK
Word 2
Vague: A steep, flat-topped landform found in the American West.
Closer: It's like a mesa's smaller, more isolated cousin.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BUTTE
Word 3
Vague: A pile or heap of earth, smaller than a hill.
Closer: You might find one in a cemetery or a mole might make one in your yard.
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 5 letters total
Answer
MOUND
Word 4
Vague: A naturally raised area of land, not as high as a mountain.
Closer: The thing you'd run up and down for cardio, or the opposite of a valley.
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 4 letters total
Answer
HILL
Word 5
Vague: An inclined surface or angled stretch of ground.
Closer: If you're skiing or hiking, you're navigating this kind of terrain.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SLOPE
Word 6
Vague: The long, narrow top of a mountain or hill.
Closer: Think of a knife-edge crest or the top line of a mountain silhouette.
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 5 letters total
Answer
RIDGE
Word 7
Vague: A small, rounded hill, often used in place names.
Closer: This is a British-origin word for a little bump in the landscape, often topped with trees.
Letter Clue: Starts with K, 5 letters total
Answer
KNOLL
Full Answers
Spangram: HIGHERGROUND
Theme Words:
- HUMMOCK
- BUTTE
- MOUND
- HILL
- SLOPE
- RIDGE
- KNOLL
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Trickiest Word: HUMMOCK (Not a word you use every day, and the double-M can throw off pattern recognition in the grid.)
Our Take: A straightforward geography-themed puzzle that rewards basic vocabulary knowledge. The seven theme words cover everything from tiny bumps (HUMMOCK, KNOLL) to broader concepts (SLOPE, RIDGE), and the spangram HIGHERGROUND ties it all together cleanly. If you stalled, it was probably on HUMMOCK -- the rest fall out quickly once you lock onto the elevated-landform pattern.
