A new day means a new opportunity to win on Strands.
The New York Times puzzle, which was introduced in May 2024, melds a word search and crossword into one challenge. But before jumping into today’s theme hints and answers, some tips on how to play.
Strands begins with a blank 6x4 grid filled with various letters and a box with today’s theme. Then, players will look for words that go along with the daily theme.
A few important rules to note:
- No words can overlap with one another.
- The entire board must be filled to complete the game.
- Letters that are above, below, next to and diagonal from each other are fair game when making a word.
- Players can find non-themed words to create a hint, which shows an outline of letters that spell out a theme word.
Last but not least is the holy grail of Strands: the “spangram.” Each game comes with one of these challenge words, which span opposite sides of the board — either up to down, or left to right.
Users can play Strands for free, but in order to access in-depth performance statistics and analytics, a New York Times Games subscription or a full New York Times subscription is required.
Without further ado, here are the hints and clues for today’s Strands answers. Plus, find out the theme words and spangram answer for the December 20, 2025, puzzle at the bottom.
What is a hint for today’s Strands theme?
Think holiday decor.
What letters do today’s Strands theme words start with?
- ST--
- OR------
- LI----
- RI----
- TI----
- AN---
What letter does today’s spangram word start with?
C
What is the definition of today’s spangram?
This two-word phrase can be real or artificial, and is displayed during the holiday season.
What is today’s Strands theme words?
The solutions to today’s Strands theme words will appear under this image. Proceed with caution.
- Star
- Ornament
- Lights
- Ribbon
- Tinsel
- Angel
What is today’s spangram word?
The answer to today’s Spangram word will appear under this image. Proceed with caution.
Christmastree
