Need help with the Thursday, May 28, 2026, NYT Strands puzzle? Game #816 has the theme “Talking scents.” Start with a gentle clue below, then move through letter hints and the spangram before opening the full answer list.
May 28 Strands hint
The puzzle’s theme clue is “Sniff!” Think of things associated with scents or fragrance.
Letter hints
In answer order, the theme words begin with MU, PE, NE, JA, BE, SA. The spangram begins with FR.
Spangram hint
The spangram has nine letters. Its path runs from the bottom row, fifth column, to the top row, third column.
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Full answers for May 28
Spoilers below.
The spangram is FRAGRANCE. The six theme words are:
- MUSK
- PEAR
- NEROLI
- JASMINE
- BERGAMOT
- SANDALWOOD
NEROLI is an unfamiliar term for some players, and May 28 discussion includes readers saying it was difficult to spot. BERGAMOT is spelled with a G after the R; “BERAMOT” is a typo appearing in one published answer list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.About the May 28 puzzle date
This is NYT Strands game #816 for Thursday, May 28, 2026. Strands resets at midnight for each time zone, so the puzzle considered “today’s” can differ between readers in different locations. Johnny Dee of TechRadar describes the timing this way: “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’.”
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