NYT Strands Hints and Answers for December 16, 2025 (#653)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of December 16, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of December 16, 2025? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for December 16, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Let me count the ways
The puzzle calls today’s theme “Let me count the ways”. Read it loosely: the 5 answers are examples of it, not synonyms for it.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, C, F, K, S.
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 5, 5, 8, 9 and 11 letters long. The shortest is 5 letters, the longest 11.
SpangramThe spangram
HIGHPRAISE
It is a single word of 10 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with H, ends with E.
AnswersAll theme words
- FUNNY5 letters
- SMART5 letters
- CHARMING8 letters
- BEAUTIFUL9 letters
- KINDHEARTED11 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.