NYT Strands Hints and Answers for December 21, 2025 (#658)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of December 21, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of December 21, 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 21, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Big bad wolf
Today’s theme is “Big bad wolf”. All 7 theme words fit that idea — and the spangram names it outright.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, B, D, H, P, S, S. Several share a starting letter (B, S).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6 and 6 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 6.
SpangramThe spangram
THREELITTLEPIGS
It is a single word of 15 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with T, ends with S.
AnswersAll theme words
- BLOW4 letters
- DOWN4 letters
- HUFF4 letters
- PUFF4 letters
- STRAW5 letters
- BRICKS6 letters
- STICKS6 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.