NYT Strands Hints and Answers for December 24, 2025 (#661)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of December 24, 2025: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of December 24, 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 24, 2025, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Gather around
Start from the clue “Gather around”. Once you see what the 7 theme words have in common, the grid opens up quickly.
Hint 2First letters
The theme words begin with C, C, H, P, R, S, W. Two of them start with the same letter (C).
Hint 3Word lengths
By length, the answers run 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 8 and 8. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 8.
SpangramThe spangram
SNUGASABUG
10 letters, a single word, running from one edge of the grid to the opposite edge.
Starts with S, ends with G.
AnswersAll theme words
- COZY4 letters
- SOFT4 letters
- WARM4 letters
- COMFY5 letters
- HOMEY5 letters
- PLEASANT8 letters
- RELAXING8 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.