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NYT Strands game #656, dated Friday, December 19, 2025, has the theme “On the chopping block.” Start with the clues below if you want a nudge; the complete answer key is farther down behind a spoiler warning.
Strands #656 theme and hints
The theme is “On the chopping block.” A second nudge is “Knife skills”: the answers are words for ways to cut food.
- To unlock the in-game hint system, find three non-theme words.
- The clue words that trigger hints in this puzzle are JUNKIE, BEEN, CHIME, FINED, LAKE, and SHADE.
- The spangram has 12 letters and runs from the left side of the board at row 3 to the right side at row 6.
Spoiler warning: complete answer key
The answers for game #656 are:
- CUBE
- JULIENNE
- SLICE
- MINCE
- DICE
- CHIFFONADE
The spangram is MAKINGTHECUT.
One answer worth knowing
CHIFFONADE is a cutting technique for making thin ribbons from leafy herbs or vegetables. TechRadar’s guide includes it in the answer list; its text list omits DICE, which appears in Parade’s list and the Yahoo Tech result surfaced alongside the guides.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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