NYT Strands Hints and Answers for December 22, 2025 (#659)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of December 22, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of December 22, 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 22, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Pass it along
The puzzle calls today’s theme “Pass it along”. Read it loosely: the 7 answers are examples of it, not synonyms for it.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, C, E, G, L, S, W.
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6 and 8 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 8.
SpangramThe spangram
REGIFTING
It is a single word of 9 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with R, ends with G.
AnswersAll theme words
- BOOK4 letters
- WINE4 letters
- SCARF5 letters
- CANDLE6 letters
- GADGET6 letters
- LOTION6 letters
- EARRINGS8 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.