Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Switch 2 Pre-Orders iPhone 17 Air Best laptops Best Mattress Wordle Today Recommended reading NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #423 (Wednesday, April 30 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #431 (Thursday, May 8 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #377 (Saturday, March 15 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #411 (Friday, April 18 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #436 (Tuesday, May 13 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #430 (Wednesday, May 7 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #399 (Sunday, April 6 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #439 (Friday, May 16 2025) Alan Martin 15 May 2025 Need help with Strands #439? Here are some hints and the answers When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Tom’s Guide/NY Times/Shutterstock) Today's hints Today's answers Yesterday's answers Strands today: Quick menu 1. Today's hints 2. Today's answer 3. Yesterday's answer Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "To a degree" — isn't too cryptic, but may still require some lateral thinking to get started. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #439, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #439, so read on if you need a little help. Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #439. You may like NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #423 (Wednesday, April 30 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #431 (Thursday, May 8 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #377 (Saturday, March 15 2025) Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints The official theme for NYT Strands #439 is... "To a degree". And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Education celebration". If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens: Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with G and ends with N. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Scroll down to find out what it is... Get better at Wordle! Wordle: The...Wordle: The Rules, Strategy and Expert Tips: From Novice to Expert in Less than 60 Minutes Wordle Words: A...Wordle Words: A genius word list of 5 letter words for Wordle Wordle Game...Wordle Game Boards: 120 pages of Wordle boards that lets you play with friends The Perfect...The Perfect Wordle Cheatsheet: Five-letter Word Collection $12.99View It's GRADUATION. Today's Strands answers So, what are today's Strands answers for game #439? Drumroll, please... (Image credit: Alan Martin) ...and the spangram was GRADUATION. Strands #439 “To a degree” Hi Stands fans. Today's theme - "To a degree" - is clearly about education, but I wasn't exactly sure how right away. I found DIPLOMA pretty quickly in the top-left corner, but then spent my time looking for other education awards like "doctorate". Eventually, I found GOWN in the bottom-right corner and realized this was about GRADUATION - the spangram written from the bottom-left corner to the top right. In the U.K, where I graduated longer ago than I like to think about, we don't go in for big graduation day ceremonies, so I was at a bit of a loss. Thankfully, the spangram had cordoned off a couple of easy answers: PHOTO on the left-hand side and SPEECH at the top of the board. But after those two were found, I still needed to use a clue to seperate my final two answers, which were fused together in the bottom-right segment. The clue revealed TASSEL, and that just left me to decode the remaining letters into PROCESSION to complete the puzzle. Yesterday's Strands answers Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #438 right here. Today's best Netflix deals Netflix - Standard with ads Netflix - Standard Netflix - Premium See more Gaming News Alan Martin Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #423 (Wednesday, April 30 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #431 (Thursday, May 8 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #377 (Saturday, March 15 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #411 (Friday, April 18 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #436 (Tuesday, May 13 2025) NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #430 (Wednesday, May 7 2025) Latest in Gaming New PlayStation handheld console could launch with the PS6 - and Sony is reportedly working on it right now Nintendo Switch 2 leaks just confirmed more specs — and finally reveal what happened to Switch Pro NYT Connections today hints and answers — Thursday, May 15 (#704) PS5 pricing could go up thanks to tariffs — what you need to know This is the most customizable PS5 and PC arcade stick I’ve tested — and I can’t get enough I thought blockbuster gaming on iPhone was a gimmick — until I tried Death Stranding Latest in News AirPods Pro 3 just revealed in new leak by Apple's own code Google just fixed a high-severity Chrome flaw that can be used to take over your account — update right now Netflix is bringing generative AI to your screen — but it's not what you think This new Solo cooler just won summer — it chills everyone off with an A/C mist I test Garmin watches for a living — here are the 5 coolest new features of the Forerunner 570 and 970 New PlayStation handheld console could launch with the PS6 - and Sony is reportedly working on it right now LATEST ARTICLES Gravity's best weighted blanket for reducing sleep anxiety is on sale ahead of Memorial Day at one of the cheapest prices I've seen AirPods Pro 3 just revealed in new leak by Apple's own code Google just fixed a high-severity Chrome flaw that can be used to take over your account — update right now Netflix is bringing generative AI to your screen — but it's not what you think This new Solo cooler just won summer — it chills everyone off with an A/C mist Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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