NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, May 14 (game #437)
Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 13 (game #436).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Boogie woogie woogie
NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
- MACE
- NOSE
- FOES
- MOON
- TIDES
- FEUD
NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 9 letters
NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: top, 4th column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #437) - the answers
The answers to today's Strands, game #437, are…
- HUSTLE
- MACARENA
- FOOTLOOSE
- WOBBLE
- LOCOMOTION
- SPANGRAM: LINE DANCE
- My rating: Moderate
- My score: 1 hint
There was no doubt that today’s theme was dance-based, with the spangram narrowing the search down even further – not that I have heard of WOBBLE.
As someone with appalling co-ordination, I live in fear of the LINE DANCE. They are much easier to avoid these days. But when I was younger any kind of family event would involve everyone being corralled onto the dancefloor to perform the Cha-Cha Slide or Superman.
My favorite group dance was to The Gap Band’s Oops Upside Your Head and if memory serves it included everyone crouching down and pretending to row a canoe.
None of this horror can compare to 1990s Spanish language hit MACARENA, a terrifying ear worm that was popular with children who years later realized they were performing a fun dance to a song about adultery.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, May 13, game #436)
- LAST
- ENDURE
- SURVIVE
- ABIDE
- PERSIST
- PERSEVERE
- SPANGRAM: STAY STRONG
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.