Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answer and Help for Dec. 16, #288

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Connections puzzles.

Strands got very playful today. I like it when the puzzle-makers teach players something about words and their weirdness, and that’s just what happened today. Read on for more hints and the answers.

Also, I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Crossed words.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Motor + hotel = motel.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

• ZERO, SPORE, SPORT, MATE, PORK, LATE, SORE, THEN, MATS, MALE, TEAL, SUCH, TEAM, ANKLE, MOMS, THOSE, TRUE, TEAT, MALT

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

• SMOG, SPORK, ZORSE, ANKLET, BRUNCH, ATHLEISURE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is PORTMANTEAUX. To find it, start with the P that’s four letters over from the left on the top row, and wind down.

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