NYT Strands is the New York Times’ daily word-search-style puzzle that blends pattern spotting with theme-based thinking. For 17 December 2025, the puzzle’s theme was “Out of line,” featuring words that describe things not quite straight. Alongside the themed entries, solvers also had to uncover a spangram that neatly tied the entire idea together.

17 December 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “Out of line”

Today’s theme focused on subtle misalignment rather than complete chaos. The words leaned toward everyday descriptors you might use for objects, pictures, or situations that are slightly off-kilter. It was a friendly theme with familiar vocabulary, but the similarity between words made careful grid scanning important.

17 December 2025 NYT Strands: Hints

  • Think of adjectives used to describe something that isn’t straight or even.
  • Look for words commonly paired with posture, alignment, or positioning.
  • Several answers share a similar meaning, so pay attention to slight spelling differences.
  • Shorter words may appear first, helping reveal letter patterns for longer ones.
  • The spangram ties the idea of mild imperfection across the entire grid.

17 December 2025 NYT Strands: Answers

  • Crooked (bent or not straight)
  • Askew (slightly turned or slanted)
  • Aslant (leaning or at an angle)
  • Tilted (angled away from level)
  • Lopside (uneven or unbalanced)

Spangram

A Little Off
The spangram captures the theme perfectly, describing situations that are not completely wrong, just slightly misaligned or uneven, linking every answer to the same central idea.

How Strands works

Strands is a daily word search puzzle with a twist:
• You’re given a theme.
• The grid is packed with hidden words tied to that theme.
• Words can run in any direction, including diagonals.
• Once you find all the theme words, you’re done!

Each puzzle usually has around 6–8 theme words.

Tips to become a NYT Strands pro

  1. Start with obvious words. Look for clear connections to the theme first.
  2. Scan diagonals early. Strands loves to hide words at an angle.
  3. Build around found words. Once one word is cleared, the leftover letters often point to the next.
  4. Use hints wisely. Earn them steadily by spotting extra words, then save them for when you’re truly stuck.
  5. Think about synonyms. The theme clue isn’t always literal — broaden your thinking.

Final Thoughts

The 17 December 2025 Strands puzzle felt moderately easy, with a cohesive theme and approachable vocabulary. The fun came from spotting subtle variations in meaning. How many of the “out of line” words did you find on your first try?