New York Times Strands Hints and Answers for December 25, 2024

This Christmas Day, the NYT Games Strands puzzle presents a festive challenge. To succeed, you'll need to decipher the theme and untangle the words hidden within the letter grid.

Even experienced Strands players might appreciate some assistance. This guide offers clues, hints, and—if needed—full solutions, all without spoiling the fun entirely.

NYT Games Strands Puzzle #297, December 25, 2024

Today's Strands puzzle features the clue A Visit From Santa. Nine items are to be found: a pangram and eight thematically related words.

Clues and Hints for the NYT Games Strands Puzzle

The following sections provide progressively more detailed hints, with spoilers carefully separated.

General Hint 1

Hint 1: Consider what Santa might deliver.

read more### General Hint 2

Hint 2: Think about small gifts.

read more### General Hint 3

Hint 3: Small presents suitable for those decorative, sock-shaped containers.

read morePartial Solutions: Word Spoilers

These sections offer limited spoilers, revealing individual words and their locations within the grid.

Spoiler 1

Word 1: Candy

read more### Spoiler 2

Word 2: Toys

read moreComplete Solution to Today's NYT Games Strands Puzzle

The complete solution, including all themed words and their positions, is provided below. Use this only as a last resort!

The theme is Stocking Stuffers. The words are Toys, Plushie, Orange, Socks, Scarf, Coal, Candy, and Pens.

read moreTheme Explanation

This section explains how the theme connects to the puzzle's clue.

The clue, A Visit from Santa, points to the many gifts he brings. The theme, Stocking Stuffers, focuses on those small presents that fit inside a stocking. All the themed words represent typical stocking fillers.

read moreReady to play? Find the New York Times Games Strands website; it's accessible on most devices with a browser.