Today's NYT Strands for 8 December 2025 presented a cerebral challenge centered on grammar fundamentals. If you're looking for quick guidance on how to solve it, this page collects hints and the complete solution—without spoiling anything too early.
8 December 2025 NYT Strands Theme: "Grammatically Speaking"
Today's theme took solvers directly into the foundations of language and grammar. The puzzle featured essential grammatical concepts and word categories that form the building blocks of English language structure. The spangram provided a unifying anchor that connected all the grammatical elements together in a satisfying way.

8 December 2025 NYT Strands: Hints
- Think about the basic building blocks of English grammar.
- Consider the different categories that words fall into in a sentence.
- Look for essential grammatical terms used to classify words.
- Scan for both simple and complex parts of speech.
- The spangram ties everything together—look for a two-word phrase that encompasses the entire study of words and their functions.
8 December 2025 NYT Strands: Answers
- Noun
- Verb
- Article
- Pronoun
- Conjunction
Spangram
Parts Of Speech
A two-word phrase representing the fundamental framework for understanding English grammar. This concept encompasses all the word categories and grammatical elements hidden throughout the puzzle, from simple articles to complex conjunctions that form the backbone of language structure.

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
- Start with obvious words. Look for clear connections to the theme first.
- Scan diagonals early. Strands loves to hide words at an angle.
- Build around found words. Clearing one often reveals patterns for the next.
- Use hints wisely. Earn them by spotting bonus words, and save them for tough moments.
- Think about synonyms—the puzzle sometimes uses indirect or symbolic clues.
Final Thoughts
This was an intellectually rewarding puzzle—especially satisfying for language enthusiasts and grammar lovers. The theme offered a comprehensive look at fundamental grammatical concepts without being unnecessarily obscure. How many of these terms did you uncover before checking the answers?
Discussion