NYT Strands puzzle #663, for Friday, December 26, 2025, uses the clue “Please hold.” Its spangram is BOXING DAY. If you want to solve it yourself, start with the hints below; the full answer list comes later. One caution: two published guides disagree on one of the eight theme words.
Hints for Strands #663
- Theme clue: “Please hold.”
- Think of: familiar things that can be followed by the word “box.”
- Date nudge: The puzzle is for December 26, which is Boxing Day.
What does “box” have to do with “Please hold”?
The likely link is that the theme words can pair with “box”: matchbox, shoebox, lunchbox, gift box, tackle box, loot box, ballot box and pizza box. In this reading, the boxes “hold” their contents. Forbes contributor Kris Holt described that explanation as his best guess, not as confirmed intent from the puzzle setter.
Opening letters
Use these only if you want a stronger nudge before seeing the answers. The reported theme words begin with:
- Forbes list: M, S, L, G, T, L, B, P
- Parade list: G, S, T, L, M, P, B, T
Spangram
BOXING DAY
Complete answer list
The guides agree on the spangram and seven theme words, but disagree on the remaining word: Forbes lists GIFT, while Parade lists TOOL. The available accounts do not establish which is correct, so these are separate reported lists rather than a reconciled answer key.
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Forbes-reported answers
- MATCH
- SHOE
- LUNCH
- GIFT
- TACKLE
- LOOT
- BALLOT
- PIZZA
Parade-reported answers
- GIFT
- SHOE
- TOOL
- LUNCH
- MATCH
- PIZZA
- BALLOT
- TACKLE
How Strands works
Strands is a word-search-style puzzle played on a six-by-eight letter grid. Connect adjacent letters vertically, horizontally or diagonally to make theme words. The spangram expresses the shared theme and stretches from one side of the board to the opposite side. Each letter is used once. Finding three valid non-theme words of at least four letters unlocks the Hint button, which highlights the letters of a theme word.
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The puzzle date is Friday, December 26, 2025. Forbes published its guide on December 25 and identifies the game as the Friday, December 26 puzzle; Parade published its guide on December 26. Their differing publication dates do not change the puzzle date, but their answer lists do differ on GIFT versus TOOL.
Quick Recap
- Forbes: “NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, Answers: Friday, December 26 (Please Hold)”
- Parade: “Today’s NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram and Answers for Friday, December 26”
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