NYT Strands Answer Today #789 Friday, 1 May 2026
If you’re here for today’s NYT Strands hints and answer for puzzle #789, you’re in the right place. We’ll give you spoiler-free clues first, so scroll carefully — the full answer appears further down with a clear warning before it.
NYT Strands Hints for 1 May 2026 (No Spoilers)
Today’s Strands puzzle has a tropical, vacation-worthy theme. Here are five clues to nudge you in the right direction without giving the game away:
Hint 1 — Theme category: Think of a famous US island state and its iconic culture.
Hint 2 — Number of theme words: There are six non-spangram answers plus one spangram to find.
Hint 3 — Word lengths: The theme words range from four to nine letters long.
Hint 4 — First letters: Look for words beginning with H, L, P, U, M, and another P.
Hint 5 — General vibe: You might eat some of these things, dance to one of them, or play one as a musical instrument. The spangram captures the spirit of the entire place.
Clue words to unlock in-game hints: If you’re stuck finding theme words, any four-letter-or-longer common word will help. Words that worked today include: RITE, MEAL, DEAN, DEAL, LEAD, LONE, PONE, SPIRIT — find three of these and the game will reveal a bonus theme word.
⚠️ SPOILER BELOW — The answer to today’s NYT Strands follows. Stop scrolling if you haven’t played yet.
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NYT Strands Answer for 1 May 2026
Today’s theme is: “I love Hawaii” / 50th state.
The six theme answers are:
- HULA — the traditional Hawaiian dance, typically performed to chant or song and used to tell stories of the islands’ history and mythology.
- LUAU — the classic Hawaiian feast, traditionally featuring kalua pig cooked in an underground oven called an imu, alongside poi and other island dishes.
- POKE — the beloved Hawaiian dish of seasoned raw fish, most commonly tuna, which has exploded in popularity worldwide over the past decade.
- UKULELE — the small, four-stringed instrument that became synonymous with Hawaiian music after Portuguese immigrants introduced a similar instrument to the islands in the 1880s.
- MACADAMIA — the rich, buttery nut first cultivated commercially in Hawaii in the late 19th century; Hawaii remains one of the world’s top macadamia-producing regions.
- PINEAPPLE — long considered a symbol of Hawaii, though the Dole plantation’s influence has waned and Hawaii now produces far less pineapple than it once did at its commercial peak.
Today’s Strands spangram: ALOHASPIRIT
The spangram stretches from one side of the board to the other. To find it, start with the A at the bottom of the far-left vertical row and wind your way up and across the grid. “Aloha spirit” is actually codified in Hawaiian law (HRS §5-7.5) as a way of life — the coordination of mind and heart within each person — making it one of the most culturally meaningful spangrams Strands has ever featured.
How Did We Do Today?
Today’s Strands #789 sits comfortably in the medium range. The theme itself — Hawaiian culture — is easy enough to grasp once you spot it, but some of the individual words took a bit of untangling on the board. MACADAMIA in particular is a long one to unscramble from scrambled letters, and UKULELE’s repeated vowels can trip you up.
Share your score in the comments — did you need the in-game hints, or did Maui’s greatest hits come naturally to you? If you’re looking for yesterday’s puzzle, check out our NYT Strands answer for Tuesday 28 April 2026 (#786).
And if word puzzles are your thing, you might enjoy our Wordle answer for today, Friday 1 May 2026 — or take a break from puzzles entirely and check out what’s coming up in gaming with our round-up of every new game added to Xbox Game Pass in April 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the NYT Strands answer today, 1 May 2026?
A: Today’s Strands puzzle #789 has six theme answers — HULA, LUAU, POKE, UKULELE, MACADAMIA, and PINEAPPLE — all tied to the theme “I love Hawaii,” with the spangram ALOHASPIRIT running across the board.
Q: How hard is today’s NYT Strands puzzle?
A: Today’s difficulty is medium. The Hawaiian theme is accessible, but longer words like MACADAMIA and UKULELE require careful unscrambling on the board. If you get stuck, use the clue words listed above to unlock in-game hints.
Abi has been writing about gaming, sports, puzzles, and UK entertainment since 2019. She covers everything from game reviews and festival previews to your daily Wordle hints — always from a British perspective.
