NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, December 25 (game #297)

Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • HULK
  • SCAN
  • LUCK
  • SKIN
  • CLUE
  • GRANT

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

The answers to today’s Strands, game #297, are…

  • COAL
  • SOCKS
  • PENS
  • SCARF
  • TOYS
  • CANDY
  • ORANGE
  • PLUSHIE
  • SPANGRAM: STOCKING

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: Perfect

My mother would always put a piece of COAL – neatly wrapped up of course – in our Christmas STOCKING, a tradition she continued into my adult life.

I always thought that it was intended as a reminder of the real meaning of Christmas amid the ramped-up consumerism, ridiculously raised expectations and over sentimentality. But then she told me the real reason – she thought it was funny.

I also liked my Grandfather’s tradition of re-gifting the present I’d bought him the previous year back to me. The first couple of times I thought it was an error – three Old Spice gift sets in and I knew it was deliberate.

Today’s Strands was surprisingly tricky and it took me ages to work out that the final letters I had left spelled out PLUSHIE.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


  • BROOK
  • HOLLY
  • RIVER
  • CLEMENTINE
  • LAUREL
  • WILLOW
  • SPANGERAM: NATURE NAMES

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