NYT Strands is the daily word-search-style puzzle from the New York Times that challenges you to uncover theme-linked words hidden across a letter grid.

For 28 December 2025, the theme is “Load up on tissues,” bringing together a set of words linked by an all-too-familiar seasonal experience. As always, there’s a spangram that neatly connects every answer in the puzzle.

28 December 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “Load up on tissues”

Today’s theme leans into cold and flu season, focusing on the sounds and symptoms no one enjoys. The puzzle felt approachable, with very recognizable words, but still required careful scanning to catch shorter terms tucked between longer ones.

28 December 2025 NYT Strands: Hints

  • Think about physical signs you notice when you’re feeling under the weather.
  • Several answers describe sounds rather than conditions themselves.
  • Look for everyday words you’d hear in a doctor’s waiting room.
  • Shorter words may be hidden inside longer letter paths.
  • Spangram ties the list together by naming the overall condition behind all these clues.

28 December 2025 NYT Strands: Answers

  • Drip (a running nose symptom)
  • Hack (a rough, repeated cough)
  • Wheeze (strained breathing sound)
  • Cough (the most obvious giveaway)
  • Snort (a sharp nasal inhale)
  • Sniffle (a classic cold sign)

Spangram

Cold Symptom
This spangram captures the unifying idea behind every word in the grid, clearly linking each answer to the shared experience of dealing with a common cold.

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.

How to get and use hints

Hints are built right into Strands, and they’re super useful if you’re stuck:

  • To earn a hint, find any non-theme word of at least four letters in the grid.
  • Each valid extra word gives you one hint.
  • When you use a hint, one of the theme words will be revealed automatically, helping you move forward.

Pro tip: Don’t just burn hints — use them strategically when the grid feels impossible. Sometimes a single revealed word unlocks the entire board.

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 words

The 28 December 2025 puzzle was on the easier side, thanks to a very relatable theme and straightforward vocabulary. It was a fun, light solve that fit the season perfectly. How many did you find before using hints?

Come back tomorrow for a fresh grid and theme — and tell us in the comments which word stumped you the most today!