The New York Times daily Strands puzzle for December 16th (#653) presents a moderate challenge, requiring players to identify hidden theme-related words within a grid of letters. The puzzle’s core mechanic involves finding words of four or more letters to unlock hints toward the overarching theme.
Hints and Clues
The theme for today’s Strands is: “Let me count the ways” — or, more directly, reasons to love someone. Players can leverage this clue to guide their search.
To unlock in-game hints, any words with four or more letters can be used. Suggested starting words include: RING, LURE, PURE, TEAR, REAR, SKID, KIND, PAGE, SKIN, and SEND. Finding three such words will reveal a theme word.
Answers
The non-spangram answers for today’s puzzle are:
- FUNNY
- SMART
- CHARMING
- BEAUTIFUL
- KINDHEARTED
The spangram, a theme word extending across the entire grid, is: HIGHPRAISE. Begin the search at the ‘H’ in the bottom-right corner and trace a path through the puzzle.
Strategy Tips
- Word Variants: Experiment with adding suffixes like “S” to existing words to uncover additional clues.
- Related Terms: Once a theme word is found, scan the grid for other words that align with the same concept.
- Forced Hints: If stuck, identify three additional clue words to reveal the letters of the theme word one by one.
The Strands puzzle is designed to test vocabulary and pattern recognition skills. The game rewards persistence, as all letters on the board must be used when all theme words (including the spangram) are correctly identified.
