On The Side Meaning In NYT Strands For May 5, 2025

Today’s NYT Strands theme is On the Side, meaning players need to find different types of French fries, a classic side dish.
The spangram is 11 characters long, starting with “F” and ending with “S,” and runs horizontally through the puzzle.
HO, CU, WA, CR, ST and SO are the first two letters of the remaining words for today’s NYT Strands.

The New York Times releases daily puzzle games such as Strands, Wordle, and Connections.

Strands presents a 6×8 word grid centered around a specific theme, challenging players to find words related to it.

Today’s NYT Strands theme is On the Side, meaning players must identify hidden words related to the theme.

On The Side Meaning In The NYT Strands

Players must fill the word grid so that each letter is marked, and the strands do not overlap.

Depending on the puzzle, the theme might be straightforward, or it may require players to think creatively to grasp its meaning.

However, in such cases, it’s best to begin by looking for the spangram, as nothing can be said for certain.

Every puzzle contains a spangram, a word or phrase that best represents the theme and helps players understand what to look for.

Today’s spangram is “French Fries,” beginning at the sixth letter of the fourth row and ending at the final letter of the first row.

Deciphering the puzzle led us to realize that the theme On the Side refers to side dishes, especially French fries.

To complete today’s NYT Strands puzzle and achieve a perfect score, you must highlight seven words, including the spangram.

Marking words that appear in the grid but are unrelated to the theme will help fill the hint bar.

French, fries, hurt, and fruit are some of the words players can highlight to receive hints in the puzzle.

Once completely filled by marking three unrelated words, it can be used to highlight the letters of one of the answers.

Here are all the words you’ll find in the NYT Strands for May 6, 2025:

Each of these words represents a different type of French fry, which is considered a side dish—fitting perfectly with today’s theme, On the Side.

The theme didn’t resonate with me at first, and it wasn’t until I deciphered the spangram that I was able to start making progress on the puzzle.