The December 8th New York Times Strands puzzle was relatively straightforward, focusing on parts of speech as its core theme. Players seeking assistance can find the complete solution breakdown below.
Puzzle Overview
Strands requires identifying hidden words within a grid, all connected by a common theme. The game offers in-game hints when players discover words with four or more letters. Today’s theme—grammatical terminology —became clearer as players revealed key terms.
Hint Breakdown
The puzzle’s central theme is “Grammatically Speaking,” pointing towards elements of English grammar. A helpful clue: “English class” directs attention to foundational linguistic concepts.
Key Words to Unlock Hints
To trigger in-game hints, the following words were used to reveal the theme:
- POUNCE
- OUNCE
- NICE
- LACE
- PARTS
- ARTS
- SPEECH
Full Solution
The non-spangram (standard theme words) for today’s puzzle are:
- NOUN
- VERB
- ARTICLE
- ADJECTIVE
- CONJUNCTION
The spangram, which spans the entire grid, is PARTSOFSPEECH. Finding this word completes the puzzle, using every letter on the board.
The difficulty of Strands varies, but today’s edition was designed to be accessible, making it a quick win for puzzle enthusiasts.
