The New York Times’ Strands puzzle for December 29th (#666) challenges players to identify hidden words fitting a specific theme. This guide provides hints and the full solution to help solve the puzzle efficiently.
Understanding the Puzzle
Strands requires players to find words of at least four letters within a grid. As players discover words, the game reveals thematic clues, eventually leading to a “spangram” – a single word that spans the entire puzzle grid. The puzzle can vary in the number of theme words.
Today’s Theme
Today’s theme is “Are you putting me on?” – a phrase that alludes to clothing items.
Hints and Clue Words
Struggling to find the hidden words? Look for terms related to what you might wear.
To unlock in-game hints, find any three words of four or more letters. Some possibilities include:
- SIRE
- SILO
- SKIFF
- SUIT
- SUITS
- CARE
- RIFF
- JACK
- SORT
- TOUR
- TOURS
- SKIN
Solutions
The non-spangram answers for today’s puzzle are:
- BELT
- VEST
- SHIRT
- JACKET
- TROUSERS
- CUFFLINKS
The spangram, which spans the puzzle from left to right, is SUITYOURSELF. Start at the S in the fifth row from the top, on the far-left side of the grid, and trace the letters across.
Strands is designed to be challenging, but with these hints and solutions, players can complete the puzzle efficiently.
