If you’re searching for clues and solutions for the Strands puzzle for Monday, December 22, 2025, continue reading—I’ll provide some tips and finally reveal the answers to the puzzle centered around the theme “Pass it along.”
To easily access our daily Strands hints, consider bookmarking this page, which also features past hints in case you’ve missed anything from previous puzzles. If you’re also a fan of games like Wordle, Connections, or Quordle, be sure to check out our hints for those as well.
Today’s puzzle includes an intriguing hint for the spangram, which refers to the somewhat cheeky act of receiving a gift and passing it on to someone else. For the theme words, think of items that can be quickly gifted to practically anyone as a last-minute present.
Be cautious: spoilers are ahead as we are about to reveal the answers to today’s Strands puzzle.
The spangram for today is REGIFTING, while the theme words are BOOK, GADGET, CANDLE, WINE, SCARF, LOTION, and EARRINGS.
In solving today’s Strands puzzle, the phrase “Pass it along” might suggest themes associated with sharing or transferring items. The arrangement reveals the word BOOK in the upper left corner, hinting at a potential literary theme. Below that, we spot LOTION, which indicates the puzzle may revolve around gift-giving.
The spangram, REGIFTING, seems to encapsulate the idea nicely, as these gifts are often perceived as less thoughtful options that someone may choose to pass along to another. The puzzle puzzle layout confirms our thoughts, with EARRINGS located in the bottom right, CANDLE adjacent to BOOK, SCARF just above the spangram, and finally, WINE presenting itself as a far more appealing gift than the initial guess of TWINE.
For those yet unfamiliar with Strands, the game combines elements of crossword puzzles and word searches. Players will see a game board filled with letters and a clue indicating the theme of the words within. The goal is to identify the hidden words in accordance with the theme, with the spangram serving as the primary anchor.
Words can be placed in any direction on the board, and each letter can only be used once. The game has no time limit or failure conditions, so players can take their time working through the clues. Successful completion of the puzzle is when all letters are identified, including the spangram and all theme words.
If today’s puzzle has sparked your interest in the Strands game, you can find it on the New York Times website and in their NYT Games app. Happy puzzling!