NYT Strands is the New York Times’ daily word-search-style puzzle that challenges players to uncover theme-based words hidden across a letter grid. For December 26, 2025, the theme was “Please hold,” built around things you might hold, carry, or handle in everyday life

26 December 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “Please Hold”

Today’s theme focused on objects and ideas that fit naturally in your hand or that you physically hold onto. From food to tools to paperwork, every word connected back to that simple act of holding something. The spangram anchored the grid with a timely seasonal nod, threading through the letters to bring the whole puzzle together.

26 December 2025 NYT Strands: Hints

  • Think of items you literally hold, like food, footwear, or everyday objects.​
  • Consider activities or events that involve holding something, such as sports gear or voting materials.​
  • One long entry references a specific post‑holiday event tied to December, and it runs across the grid as the central spangram.​
  • Short, concrete nouns are key; once you spot one, build outward along diagonals to uncover more.​
  • Remember that words can twist and turn, so track letters that “feel” connected even when they change direction.

26 December 2025 NYT Strands: Answers

  • Match
  • Shoe
  • Lunch
  • Gift
  • Pizza
  • Ballot
  • Tool
  • Tackle

Each of these can be something you hold in your hand, whether it is a slice of pizza, a wrapped gift, or a ballot in the voting booth.​

Spangram

Boxingday

This spangram ties the whole grid to the post‑Christmas holiday, when people often handle gifts, shopping bags, and packages. It snakes through the board, intersecting several theme words while reinforcing the idea of holding onto seasonal items and traditions.

How Strands works

Strands is a daily word search puzzle with a twist: you are given a theme, and the grid is packed with hidden words related to it. Words can run horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and they can change direction midstream. Once you locate all the theme words plus the spangram, you have completed the puzzle.

Tips to become a NYT Strands pro

  • Start with the spangram. The longest word with a strong thematic link often cuts across large sections of the grid and reveals patterns around it.
  • Scan for concrete nouns first; everyday objects like food, tools, or clothing tend to stand out quickly.​
  • After finding a word, examine adjacent letters for natural continuations toward other theme words, especially along diagonals.
  • Save hints until you are truly stuck so you can clear as many words as possible on your own.
  • Keep the theme in mind and brainstorm a quick list of related words; then hunt for those letter clusters in the grid.

The December 26, 2025 Strands puzzle mixed seasonal flair with accessible, real‑world objects, making for a satisfying post‑holiday solve. Whether you were clutching a ballot, a slice of pizza, or leftover Boxing Day gifts, the grid captured that simple act of having something in your hands.​