NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, December 30 (game #667)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, December 29 (game #666).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #667) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… 2025 Top Twenty

NYT Strands today (game #667) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• STAY
• BRAISE
• SCORN
• BLOG
• RAID
• DIED

NYT Strands today (game #667) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #667) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 2nd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #667) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #667, are…

• GOLDEN
• ABRACADABRA
• DAISIES
• MANCHILD
• ORDINARY
• SPANGRAM: HITSONGS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

It was pretty obvious that this search contained ABRACADABRA, but hopefully I wasn’t the only person who spent about five minutes trying to connect all the letters after starting from the wrong end.

The Lady Gaga hit is exceptional, but I prefer the Steve Miller band song with the same title from 1982, the same for GOLDEN from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack – which has eclipsed the magnificent Harry Styles song of the identical name. Get your own song titles, 2025.

Anyhow, these minor gripes aside this was a fun game to remind us of how in or out of touch we are with chart music.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, December 29, game #666)

• BELT
• SHIRT
• VEST
• TROUSERS
• JACKET
• CUFFLINKS
• SPANGRAM: SUITYOURSELF

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/o2RvDQG

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, December 29 (game #666)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, December 28 (game #665).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #666) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… xxxxx

NYT Strands today (game #666) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SILO
• SHIRE
• STRESS
• CRESS 
• RIFF
• SKIN

NYT Strands today (game #666) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #666) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #666) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #666, are…

• BELT
• SHIRT
• VEST
• TROUSERS
• JACKET
• CUFFLINKS
• SPANGRAM: SUITYOURSELF

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

I’m classifying this as an easy game despite me needing a hint, as laziness ,rather than difficulty, was the reason behind my need for a helping hand.

Once I got BELT and understood the theme I was on my way to getting fully dressed.

That said, I did see SUIT and YOURSELF as non-game words before realizing that they fitted together!

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, December 28, game #665)

• SNIFFLE
• SNEEZE
• COUGH
• WHEEZE
• HACK
• DRIP 
• SNORT
• SPANGRAM: COLDSYMPTOM

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/cbgL5VO

Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, December 28 (game #1434)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, December 27 (game #1433).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1434) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1434) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1434) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1434) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1434) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• P

• B

• T

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1434) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1434, are…

• SINGE
• PAYER
• BRIDE
• TRAIT

A nice round with some common three-letter combinations in every word. 

My only stumble was over PAYER, as I had four options and picked the wrong one.

Daily Sequence today (game #1434) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1434, are…

• DINGY
• GRUNT
• THEME
• BLEEP

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1433, Saturday, 27 December: FLAME, SCOWL, EMBER, ROVER
• Quordle #1432, Friday, 26 December: STRAP, SQUIB, FLUNK, NOMAD
• Quordle #1431, Thursday, 25 December: WARTY, HARRY, BLOND, AXION
• Quordle #1430, Wednesday, 24 December: FLOUR, CHAIR, OCTAL, ADAPT
• Quordle #1429, Tuesday, 23 December: GLOAT, CLASP, USAGE, BONGO
• Quordle #1428, Monday, 22 December: FAULT, MOULT, DIVER, LUSTY
• Quordle #1427, Sunday, 21 December: POKER, AUDIO, COMIC, BISON
• Quordle #1426, Saturday, 20 December: THOSE, EVENT, ADORN, SPECK
• Quordle #1425, Friday, 19 December: MOLAR, MOTTO, FLASH, FLIER
• Quordle #1424, Thursday, 18 December: ADORN, ALTER, SALVE, GRUFF
• Quordle #1423, Wednesday, 17 December: SLUSH, FEAST, TWINE, SNOOP
• Quordle #1422, Tuesday, 16 December: BREAD, THEFT, HUMID, SMILE
• Quordle #1421, Monday, 15 December: BIDDY, CACHE, SNAIL, THROW
• Quordle #1420, Sunday, 14 December: HYENA, ASSET, TARDY, HORSE
• Quordle #1419, Saturday, 13 December: APPLE, BEGUN, TOXIC, MOGUL
• Quordle #1418, Friday, 12 December: KRILL, SIGHT, KHAKI, DUCHY
• Quordle #1417, Thursday, 11 December: CLANG, CRANK, JUMBO, GLASS
• Quordle #1416, Wednesday, 10 December: BULKY, TABBY, TRUST, SHELL
• Quordle #1415, Tuesday, 9 December: NUTTY, FELON, TOXIN, WORDY
• Quordle #1414, Monday, 8 December: REBUT, SLAIN, DOWNY, YEAST

https://ift.tt/gPW0w4o

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, December 27 (game #664)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 26 (game #663).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #664) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… If you ask me …

NYT Strands today (game #664) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LOOT
• NICE
• PERT
• MINTY
• PINE
• PREEN

NYT Strands today (game #664) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #664) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #664) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #664, are…

• TAKE
• OPINION
• PERSPECTIVE
• VIEWPOINT
• OUTLOOK
• SPANGRAM: MYTWOCENTS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

My mind started wandering during this one and I needed a hint to make progress. 

We live in a world of information overload and pre-packaged OPINION on virtually every topic. 

MYTWOCENTS is that this is leading to a crisis of critical thinking and if, instead of being blinded by the opinions and judgments of others, we took the time to develop a more reasoned PERSPECTIVE of our own then we would live in a more harmonious and hopeful world. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, December 26, game #663)

• GIFT
• MATCH
• SHOE
• LUNCH
• TACKLE
• TOOL
• BALLOT
• SPANGRAM: BOXINGDAY

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/WGd31Fl

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 26 (game #663)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, December 25 (game #662).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #663) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Please hold

NYT Strands today (game #663) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• CHOSE
• CAKE
• TELLING
• TOAD
• CHAT
• LUNG

NYT Strands today (game #663) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #663) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 7th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #663) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #663, are…

• GIFT
• MATCH
• SHOE
• LUNCH
• TACKLE
• TOOL
• BALLOT
• SPANGRAM: BOXINGDAY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

OK. I may not be at my sharpest today, but I hope I wasn’t the only person baffled by this edition of Strands.

I managed to make my way around the board OK with the help of a hint but I failed to see what the connection was to all of the search words with BOXINGDAY. Perhaps, I thought, it's a cultural difference and there is some huge Boxing Day SHOE tradition in the US that people outside of the US have never heard of.

Finally, I got that “box” was the link, although I still don’t understand the theme “please hold”. Is it something to do with telephone boxes?

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, December 25, game #662)

• LORDS
• DRUMMERS
• MAIDS
• PIPERS
• SWANS
• LADIES
• SPANGRAM: CHRISTMASDAYS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/hPBJilH

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, December 25 (game #662)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, December 24 (game #661).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #662) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Caroler's count

NYT Strands today (game #662) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• CHEMIST
• DRAMA
• STEW
• SASSY
• SAIL
• WIPER
• MASS

NYT Strands today (game #662) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #662) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: right, 1st row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #662) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #662, are…

• LORDS
• DRUMMERS
• MAIDS
• PIPERS
• SWANS
• LADIES
• SPANGRAM: CHRISTMASDAYS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A nice festive search that didn’t pose too many challenges once it became obvious what carol the theme was. 

Missing from the search were, of course, a partridge, geese, turtle doves and my favourite line to sing – five gold rings. It’s an odd song in many ways, the gifts of birds, milk and pipers I understand, but who would want some lords leaping around the place?

It’s also a song that’s evolved a lot over the years – the first version included colly birds – so we are long overdue an update. Maybe seven Apple Watches instead of the SWANS and surely a Samsung Galaxy Tablet in a pear tree would be more desirable than a partridge?

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, December 24, game #661)

• COMFY
• COZY
• RELAXING
• PLEASANT
• WARM
• SOFT
• HOMEY
• SPANGRAM: SNUGASABUG

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/tHEqd3i

Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, December 24 (game #1430)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, December 23 (game #1429).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1430) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1430) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1430) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1430) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1430) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• C

• O

• A

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1430) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1430, are…

• FLOUR
• CHAIR
• OCTAL
• ADAPT

This was one of those strange games where, after getting just two correct letters from my starter words, I began by thinking it would be a struggle.

But then, after getting the first word correct I went through the game without issues. That said, I only know the word OCTAL because it crops up in Quordle games so much.

Daily Sequence today (game #1430) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1430, are…

• RARER
• SUING
• HONOR
• WRATH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1429, Tuesday, 23 December: GLOAT, CLASP, USAGE, BONGO
• Quordle #1428, Monday, 22 December: FAULT, MOULT, DIVER, LUSTY
• Quordle #1427, Sunday, 21 December: POKER, AUDIO, COMIC, BISON
• Quordle #1426, Saturday, 20 December: THOSE, EVENT, ADORN, SPECK
• Quordle #1425, Friday, 19 December: MOLAR, MOTTO, FLASH, FLIER
• Quordle #1424, Thursday, 18 December: ADORN, ALTER, SALVE, GRUFF
• Quordle #1423, Wednesday, 17 December: SLUSH, FEAST, TWINE, SNOOP
• Quordle #1422, Tuesday, 16 December: BREAD, THEFT, HUMID, SMILE
• Quordle #1421, Monday, 15 December: BIDDY, CACHE, SNAIL, THROW
• Quordle #1420, Sunday, 14 December: HYENA, ASSET, TARDY, HORSE
• Quordle #1419, Saturday, 13 December: APPLE, BEGUN, TOXIC, MOGUL
• Quordle #1418, Friday, 12 December: KRILL, SIGHT, KHAKI, DUCHY
• Quordle #1417, Thursday, 11 December: CLANG, CRANK, JUMBO, GLASS
• Quordle #1416, Wednesday, 10 December: BULKY, TABBY, TRUST, SHELL
• Quordle #1415, Tuesday, 9 December: NUTTY, FELON, TOXIN, WORDY
• Quordle #1414, Monday, 8 December: REBUT, SLAIN, DOWNY, YEAST
• Quordle #1413, Sunday, 7 December: BRACE, AISLE, BAGEL, LINEN
• Quordle #1412, Saturday, 6 December: NURSE, DINGY, TRUCK, ACTOR
• Quordle #1411, Friday, 5 December: HAVEN, AMBER, HUMID, SALSA
• Quordle #1410, Thursday, 4 December: DOPEY, OCTAL, CRAFT, HUMAN

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, December 23 (game #660)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, December 22 (game #659).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #660) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Br-r-r-r-r!

NYT Strands today (game #660) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• HILL
• CROP
• SNIFF
• GHOST
• FLINTY
• CAROL

NYT Strands today (game #660) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #660) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 4th column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #660) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #660, are…

• CHILLY
• FREEZING
• COOL
• GLACIAL
• COLD
• POLAR
• FRIGID
• SPANGRAM: NOTSOHOT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A quick and easy game with an obvious theme and some easy early spots.

Finland, famously, has 23 different words for snow, but I’d say the English language comes pretty close when it comes to describing CHILLY weather.

Many of the words that describe NOTSOHOT conditions were absent from today’s word search including nippy, frosty, brisk, bitter, arctic and my favorite, which may not have made it to common parlance outside of the UK, “taters”, often combined with the phrase “it’s taters sarge”, an idiom which stems from Cockney rhyming slang for cold or possibly potatoes, no one knows.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, December 22, game #659)

• SCARF
• BOOK
• CANDLE
• GADGET
• WINE
• LOTION
• EARRINGS
• SPANGRAM: REGIFTING

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/SeyvkW8

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, December 22 (game #659)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, December 21 (game #658).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #659) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Pass it along

NYT Strands today (game #659) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• WEDGE
• WING
• KNOB
• RACE
• GOON
• LINEN

NYT Strands today (game #659) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #659) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #659) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #659, are…

• SCARF
• BOOK
• CANDLE
• GADGET
• WINE
• LOTION
• EARRINGS
• SPANGRAM: REGIFTING

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

An easy game today, but a depressing one. There is only one thing I find sadder than a disappointing meal and that’s unwanted gifts. 

It’s sad on multiple levels, as the person buying has spent their well-earned money on something you don’t like and secondly it’s depressing because they don’t know or like you enough to have bought you something you might like. I mean, who wants a CANDLE, really? 

Worst of all is the pretence of thanking someone, when you both know full well that you will be REGIFTING it to some other poor soul and thus continuing the neverending circle of terrible gifts.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, December 21, game #658)

• HUFF
• PUFF
• BRICKS
• STICKS
• STRAW
• BLOW
• DOWN
• SPANGRAM: THREELITTLEPIGS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/6FMVQCm

NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, December 21 (game #658)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, December 20 (game #657).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #658) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Big bad wolf

NYT Strands today (game #658) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SWOT
• KNOW
• FLUTE
• SNOW
• STACK
• BLOCKS

NYT Strands today (game #658) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #658) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: right, 3rd row

Last side: left, 4th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #658) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #658, are…

• HUFF
• PUFF
• BRICKS
• STICKS
• STRAW
• BLOW
• DOWN
• SPANGRAM: THREELITTLEPIGS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A super long spangram today, but more than worth it for the excellent puzzle building – a Strands classic.

Firstly, top marks for having HUFF and PUFF at the top of the puzzle, and then for the house-shaped THREELITTLEPIGS spangram. These touches made it quite an easy game – just a case of remembering the nursery rhyme – but we can take the occasional break from noodling.

I’m also thrilled because I got a badge for this game for the 50th time I spotted the spangram first. I had no idea I’d done that so many times.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, December 20, game #657)

• STAR
• ORNAMENT
• LIGHTS
• RIBBON
• TINSEL
• ANGEL
• SPANGRAM: CHRISTMASTREE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/WkFAu3o

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, December 20 (game #657)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 19 (game #656).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #657) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… All the trimmings

NYT Strands today (game #657) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SNAG
• TANG
• HORN
• STORE
• MEAT
• BONG

NYT Strands today (game #657) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #657) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #657) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #657, are…

• STAR
• ORNAMENT
• LIGHTS
• RIBBON
• TINSEL
• ANGEL
• SPANGRAM: CHRISTMASTREE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

The theme “all the trimmings” immediately made me think of Christmas, but my initial thoughts – as they so often are in late December – were about food. 

After abandoning my search for Christmas meal side orders I opted for a hint and STAR changed my focus completely. 

Despite its lack of long words I still really struggled with today’s game. Perhaps I’m lacking in Christmas spirit – or maybe I’ve had too many Christmas spirits already.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, December 19, game #656)

• CUBE
• JULIENNE
• SLICE
• MINCE
• CHIFFONADE
• SPANGRAM: MAKINGTHECUT

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/yB4khKV

Criminals might use ‘GhostPairing’ to hijack your WhatsApp account – here’s how to stop them

• A new WhatsApp scam called 'GhostPairing' has been discovered
• This tricks users into giving a criminal access to their account
• The attacker can then commit identity theft and scam others

There’s no shortage of ways that hackers and other criminals will attempt to gain access to online accounts, but now another has just been discovered, and this specifically relates to WhatsApp.

Gen Digital (via Bleeping Computer) has discovered a WhatsApp account takeover approach that it’s dubbing ‘GhostPairing’ – and when a criminal successfully carries this out, it gives them full access to your WhatsApp account, potentially without you even realizing. So it’s worth knowing what to look out for.

The attempt starts by the victim being sent a message from one of their contacts, generally saying something like “Hey, I just found your photo”, followed by a link. That link will appear with a Facebook-like preview, as you can see in the image below, but the link itself won’t actually take you to Facebook.

A GhostPairing WhatsApp scam message (Image credit: Gen Digital)

Instead, it will take you to a page hosted by the criminals that’s designed to look like Facebook, and will ask you to log in to your account before you can see the content.

That process will involve providing your phone number and then either scanning a QR code or entering a numeric code into WhatsApp, but in either case, what it’s actually doing is using WhatsApp’s device linking function to link the criminal’s device to your WhatsApp account.

During this process your WhatsApp account should alert you that another device is attempting to access to your account, which will hopefully be enough of a red flag for most people, but inevitably some will miss this.

Those who do follow the steps on the fake Facebook page will give the criminal full access to their WhatsApp account from a linked device – that includes conversation histories, shared media, and of course the ability to message a user’s contacts.

A GhostPairing scam page imitating Facebook (Image credit: Gen Digital)

With this, the attacker can attempt to impersonate a user and commit fraud or extortion, and of course they can also then play the same trick on any of the user’s contacts.

If they’re careful enough, they could even remain unnoticed in the user’s account for a long time.

Remove and prevent access

There is a way to check whether this has happened to you – just open WhatsApp and head to Settings > Linked devices, from where you’ll be able to see a list of any devices linked to your account. If there are any that you don’t recognize, you can revoke their access.

As far as avoiding falling victim to GhostPairing in the first place, you should always be wary of being sent links, even from friends and family, and especially if they include just a vague message that seems designed to motivate you to click.

Look carefully at the URLs too, since in this case they’re pretending to be Facebook but the actual URLs used are very different. And finally, if you do click a link, think twice before entering any sensitive details (or scanning a QR code) on any page it sends you to. In this case, WhatsApp will actually tell you what the code you’re entering does, so make sure to carefully read anything involved in the process too.

And while this attack is specifically for WhatsApp, similar methods have been used for other messaging apps too, so be wary whatever you’re using.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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TikTok’s long-awaited US sale may finally be happening, according to new reports

• TikTok’s US sale could close on January 22, 2026
• A new US-led joint venture would take control of operations
• ByteDance would hold a minority stake

TikTok’s fate in the United States has been in flux since Congress passed a law compelling its sale to U.S. owners, and after several deadline extensions by Trump’s White House, the long-awaited deal may finally be in motion.

According to reports from CNBC and Axios, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew confirmed that in a deal set to close on January 22, 2026, TikTok in the US will be a part of a new joint venture dubbed ‘TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.’ Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will be the three main partners, among other new investors, but it will be shared with China-based ByteDance – the original owner of TikTok – which will still retain a percentage.

This is a big change for TikTok, which has had a tumultuous year in the United States. That kicked off with a ban and then the Trump Administration offering a few extensions and a promise of US ownership on the horizon – not full, but at least 80% ownership in the US. That will effectively keep TikTok available, but it will change the app's experience, as the algorithm likely won’t remain intact.

In the memo, which was seen by CNBC, it’s reported that Shou Zi Chew wrote that the venture will be “majority owned by American investors, governed by a new seven-member majority-American board of directors, and subject to terms that protect Americans’ data and U.S. national security.”

A large portion of this venture is focused on US operations, and a key tenet would be solving – or at least alleviating – national security concerns in the United States, which were the original reason behind the proposed ban and led us down this path.

The joint venture will be charged with protecting US data on the app, including the all-important algorithm, which powers the ‘For You’ feed and what each user sees in the app, as well as content moderation. Axios, which has seen the memo, reports that it reads, “retraining the content recommendation algorithm on U.S. user data to ensure the content feed is free from outside manipulation."

TikTok’s global aspects won’t be entirely going away, though. ByteDance, TikTok’s current parent company, will still retain a percentage of ownership over the ‘TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC’ and will also ensure that US TikTok works with the other versions of the app.

(Image credit: Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

It remains to be seen whether this deal officially closes, but also what this truly means for TikTok and how it might change the experience for the countless users in the United States. TechRadar has reached out to TikTok for further comment on the reports and for details on this sale.

As a reminder, the last major update came in September 2025, when the White House said it had worked through a deal with China to sell TikTok’s US operations to a new venture and a US group. In 2020, the first Trump Administration issued an executive order mandating a sale, which initiated this years-long process.

It seems, though, that TikTok’s US operations may soon shift from China-based ByteDance to a new US-operated venture — a change that could take effect on January 22, 2026.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 19 (game #656)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, December 18 (game #655).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #656) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On the chopping block

NYT Strands today (game #656) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• JUNKIE
• BEEN
• CHIME
• FINED
• LAKE
• SHADE

NYT Strands today (game #656) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #656) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: right, 6th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #656) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #656, are…

• CUBE
• JULIENNE
• SLICE
• MINCE
• CHIFFONADE
• SPANGRAM: MAKINGTHECUT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

They say every day is a school day and it certainly was for me today.

I got the theme pretty quickly and even found the spangram easily enough, but I hit a wall on the final word and spent a few minutes puzzled before eventually taking the most obvious route and tapping out CHIFFONADE.

Kudos if you were aware of this term, for cutting vegetables in ribbons. It’s one of those things I didn’t know even had a word, but from now on I will no longer be chopping my veggies, I’ll be chiffonading them.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, December 18, game #655)

• HONEY
• GARLIC
• LEMON
• ELDERBERRY
• TURMERIC
• SPANGRAM: IMMUNEBOOSTERS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/OVAbv4X

Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, December 18 (game #1424)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, December 17 (game #1423).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1424) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1424) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1424) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1424) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1424) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• A

• A

• S

• G

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1424) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1424, are…

• ADORN
• ALTER
• SALVE
• GRUFF

It felt like quite a triumph getting GRUFF, but the truth is that by this stage there was no other option from the handful of letters I had left.

Instead of SALVE I could have opted for “sable”, but I figured that was a bit too obscure.

Daily Sequence today (game #1424) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1424, are…

• WORSE
• WHARF
• ESTER
• PEACE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1423, Wednesday, 17 December: SLUSH, FEAST, TWINE, SNOOP
• Quordle #1422, Tuesday, 16 December: BREAD, THEFT, HUMID, SMILE
• Quordle #1421, Monday, 15 December: BIDDY, CACHE, SNAIL, THROW
• Quordle #1420, Sunday, 14 December: HYENA, ASSET, TARDY, HORSE
• Quordle #1419, Saturday, 13 December: APPLE, BEGUN, TOXIC, MOGUL
• Quordle #1418, Friday, 12 December: KRILL, SIGHT, KHAKI, DUCHY
• Quordle #1417, Thursday, 11 December: CLANG, CRANK, JUMBO, GLASS
• Quordle #1416, Wednesday, 10 December: BULKY, TABBY, TRUST, SHELL
• Quordle #1415, Tuesday, 9 December: NUTTY, FELON, TOXIN, WORDY
• Quordle #1414, Monday, 8 December: REBUT, SLAIN, DOWNY, YEAST
• Quordle #1413, Sunday, 7 December: BRACE, AISLE, BAGEL, LINEN
• Quordle #1412, Saturday, 6 December: NURSE, DINGY, TRUCK, ACTOR
• Quordle #1411, Friday, 5 December: HAVEN, AMBER, HUMID, SALSA
• Quordle #1410, Thursday, 4 December: DOPEY, OCTAL, CRAFT, HUMAN
• Quordle #1409, Wednesday, 3 December: SHALE, VITAL, TOOTH, WAFER
• Quordle #1408, Tuesday, 2 December: GRILL, SIGHT, COMFY, STINK
• Quordle #1407, Monday, 1 December: DITCH, SKIFF, INBOX, MUCKY
• Quordle #1406, Sunday, 30 November: OPTIC, WRUNG, ERUPT, ROYAL
• Quordle #1405, Saturday, 29 November: HUMAN, BUTTE, MOGUL, SHEET
• Quordle #1404, Friday, 28 November: ROUGE, GLEAN, FERRY, EMPTY

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