The New York Times' Strands is a daily word-search/word-find puzzle that challenges players to uncover a short list of themed words hidden in a grid. Today’s theme is - On the web. The puzzle offered words tied to spiders and web-related imagery, plus a spangram that uses every letter in the grid to tie the list together.

2nd December 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “On the web”

Today’s theme leaned into arachnid vocabulary and web imagery, with a compact set of words that felt closely related. Expect some straightforward entries alongside a couple that rely on context (verbs and nouns) — the spangram nicely pulled the list together.

2nd December 2025 NYT Strands: Hints

  • Think of creatures and actions tied to webs and web-dwelling life.
  • Look for words that can be both nouns and verbs (the grid likes flexible words).
  • Scan the outer rows first — several answers start or end near the edges.
  • Expect a mix of short and medium-length words; diagonals are likely.
  • Spangram ties the list together — find letters that form the central SPIDERS motif.

2nd December 2025 NYT Strands: Answers

  • house — (noun) a shelter or dwelling; here, think spider “house” as a retreat or web-based shelter.
  • widow — (noun) short for “black widow,” a spider species; can also mean someone whose spouse has died.
  • huntsman — (noun) a fast, flat-bodied spider known as the huntsman spider; also a person who hunts.
  • jumping — (verb/adjective) jumping spiders are active, agile predators noted for leaping to catch prey.
  • recluse — (noun) as in “brown recluse,” a spider known for its reclusive habits; implies solitary behavior.
  • tarantula — (noun) a family of large, often hairy spiders; a common, recognizable spider name.

Spangram

SPIDERS

The spangram 'SPIDERS' weaves through the grid, connecting each theme entry; it uses every letter available and reinforces the arachnid-and-web motif that unifies the day's answers for clever puzzle play.

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

This puzzle played as a friendly, moderate challenge — thematically tight and satisfying if you like spider- and web-related vocabulary. How many did you find, and did the spangram tip you toward the trickier entries?