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NYT Strands Hints and Answers for December 17, 2024 (Game #289)

NYT Strands game #289 has an “It’s Lit!” theme about books and literature. Find progressive hints, the five answers and the FICTION GENRE spangram.
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The December 17, 2024, NYT Strands puzzle is game #289. Its theme is “It’s Lit!”, about books and literature. If you want a nudge before the solution, the spangram is a type of book category and runs horizontally from the board’s left side to its right.

Hints for NYT Strands on December 17

Start with the theme: think of categories of fiction and the kinds of stories found in books. The spangram clue is “book types.” It crosses the fourth row horizontally, touching the left and right sides of the board, according to TechRadar’s guide.

Need another nudge? The first-letter pairs for the five regular theme words and the spangram are RO, CR, WE, HI, FA, and FI, respectively, as listed by Parade. Finding three non-theme words earns a hint that reveals the letters of an unsolved theme word. [Parade]

What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?

The theme is “It’s Lit!”—a reference to books and literature. The puzzle is game #289, dated Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Parade and TechRadar agree on the date, theme, answer list, and spangram. [TechRadar]

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NYT Strands answers for December 17, 2024

Spoilers below. The five theme words are:

  • ROMANCE
  • CRIME
  • WESTERN
  • HISTORICAL
  • FANTASY

Spangram

The spangram is FICTION GENRE. It spans horizontally from the left side of the board to the right. The sources agree on the answer; TechRadar also prints it without a space as FICTIONGENRE.

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How Strands hints work

Theme words remain highlighted after you find them. The spangram describes the puzzle’s theme and connects two opposite sides of the board. Finding three words that are not theme answers earns a hint, which reveals the letters of one unsolved theme word, according to Parade’s explanation of the rules.

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