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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Today’s NYT Strands theme is “Gather around.” If you want a gentle nudge before seeing the solution, think blankets, comfort and a cozy place to settle in. The answer reveal is below the spoiler warning.
Today’s Strands hint for Wednesday, December 24
The theme clue is “Gather around.” For an extra hint, Forbes guide author Kris Holt suggests: “Drape some blankets over you and perhaps your nearest and dearest.”
How to get an in-game hint
In Strands, finding three valid words of at least four letters that are not theme answers unlocks a hint highlighting the letters in one theme word. TechRadar lists these words as possible ways to unlock hints in this puzzle:
- ATOM
- GRASSY
- WATCH
- MOTH
- MOST
- PLANT
Spoilers: the December 24 Strands answers
Stop here if you want to keep solving without seeing the answers.
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Puzzle #661 has seven theme words and one spangram:
- COMFY
- COZY
- RELAXING
- PLEASANT
- WARM
- SOFT
- HOMEY
- Spangram: SNUG AS A BUG (spelled SNUGASABUG in the grid)
What the Strands clues mean
Strands is a word-search-style game played on a six-by-eight letter grid. Words can run vertically, horizontally or diagonally, and the spangram connects at least two sides of the board. Forbes’s guide describes the game as using every letter in the grid once. The hints and answers above are for the Wednesday, December 24, 2025 puzzle; the answer set is consistent across guides from TechRadar, Forbes and Yahoo Tech.
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