Looking for hints or the answer to the NYT Strands Today puzzle? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.
In this guide, you’ll find the full answers for December 16, 2025, along with helpful hints and explanations to make solving the puzzle easier and keep your streak alive.
What Is NYT Strands?
NYT Strands is a new word puzzle from The New York Times Games collection, offering a fresh challenge for fans of Wordle, Spelling Bee, and Connections.
In this game, players connect letters in a 6x8 grid to find theme-based words and a special “Spangram” that stretches across the grid, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
The daily theme acts as your biggest clue, helping you uncover multiple words related to the topic, plus the long Spangram that ties the whole puzzle together!
NYT Strands Today’s theme (December 16, 2025)
Here is the NYT Strands Today theme puzzle for December 16;
- Theme: Let me count the ways
Today's theme hints at a strong or enthusiastic approval of someone or something. It refers to giving very positive compliments or expressing great admiration.
NYT Strands Today: hints for December 16, 2025
Need a little nudge without seeing the full answers? Here are hints for today's Strands puzzle:
- Hint 1: Amusing and makes people laugh.
- Hint 2: Means intelligent or quick-thinking.
Spangram Hint:
- The Spangram runs vertically across the grid.
- It starts with "HI."
NYT Strands Today: answers for December 16, 2025
🛑 Spoiler Alert! 🛑
Scroll down only if you’re ready for the full solutions.
Today’s Spangram
- HIGHPRAISE
Today’s theme words
- FUNNY
- SMART
- CHARMING
- BEAUTIFUL
- KINDHEARTED
Today's Spangram and theme words reflect the spirit of making mistakes, which is perfect for the “Let me count the ways” theme!
Today's Spangram is a bit easy. When I looked at the hints, such as hints FUNNY, SMART, CHARMING, and BEAUTIFUL are all compliments, different positive qualities we hear if we or someone else admires others. The theme “Let me count the ways” also points out the counts on how many times we praise someone, so I scanned the board and indeed found the word PRAISE. But, as usual, it's not the whole Spanram, so I continued scanning the board and found the word HIGH PRAISE, which fits perfectly to all hints and the given theme.
To find it, scan the board from the right side first line, starting with the letter H, which is the first letter from the bottom. Continue scanning the board vertically going up to the third line, ending with the letter E, to complete the Spangram word.
How does the NYT Strands Spangram work?
The Spangram is a unique feature of Strands puzzles, it’s a single word or phrase that connects two sides of the grid, encapsulating the day's theme. Finding the Spangram early often makes solving the rest of the puzzle much easier.
Tips for solving NYT Strands puzzles
If you're serious about mastering Strands, keep these tips in mind:
- Start from the corners: Theme words usually begin or end here.
- Use in-game hints wisely: Unlock hints if you're stuck — it's better than guessing randomly!
- Think outside the box: Sometimes, the connection to the theme might be more playful or metaphorical.
- Focus on the Spangram: Cracking the Spangram gives you the biggest advantage.
Stay updated for NYT Strands today and beyond
Bookmark this page for daily NYT Strands Today hints and answers. We update right after the puzzle goes live, so you’ll never miss a solution!
Looking for more puzzle help? Check out the following guides below to help you out!
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And that ends our NYT Strands today! Enjoy and keep your winning streak!