NYT Strands puzzle #663 for Friday, December 26, 2025, has the theme “Please hold.” Its spangram is BOXING DAY, and the eight theme words are MATCH, SHOE, LUNCH, GIFT, TACKLE, TOOL, BALLOT, and PIZZA.
Hints for the December 26 Strands puzzle
The published theme hint is “Please hold.” A date-specific clue offered by Forbes is: “It’s December 26, after all!” The answer that ties the date to the theme is the spangram, BOXING DAY.
Forbes interprets the theme words as types of boxes, with “hold” pointing to what boxes contain. That is the guide’s explanation of the wordplay, rather than an official explanation from The New York Times.
What are the NYT Strands answers for December 26?
Spangram: BOXING DAY
Theme words:
- MATCH
- SHOE
- LUNCH
- GIFT
- TACKLE
- TOOL
- BALLOT
- PIZZA
There is a source discrepancy: Forbes lists LOOT in place of TOOL, but Try Hard Guides, WordsRated, and Strands Solution list TOOL. Yahoo Tech mentions LOOT as an example of a valid non-theme word, not as a theme answer. The answer list above uses TOOL.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →How Strands works
Strands is a word-search-style game played on a six-by-eight letter grid. Find the theme words and a spangram that describes their shared connection and touches at least two sides of the board. Letters can connect vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Finding three non-theme words of at least four letters unlocks a hint that highlights the letters of a theme word.
According to the dated guide, Strands is available on the NYT website and in the NYT Games app.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.
