NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Monday, December 16 (game #288)

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
(Image credit: New York Times)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #288) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Crossed words

NYT Strands today (game #288) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • SURE
  • MATES
  • TANK
  • RATHER
  • HURT
  • NEAT

NYT Strands today (game #288) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

Word smash

NYT Strands today (game #288) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 4th column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #288) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 288 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #288, are…

  • SMOG
  • SPORT
  • BRUNCH
  • ZORSE
  • ATHLEISURE
  • ANKLET
  • SPANGRAM: PORTMANTEAUX

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 2 hints

In honor of today’s Spangram I’ve invented my own portmanteaux. Stranesia describes that moment playing Strands where your memory and brain power completely evade you. Today, I experienced this all-too-common sensation when, even though I only had five letters left, I still could not get the final word and was left dumbfounded.

In my defense, ZORSE is hardly the most common of words. But then again, none of my numerous attempts (Orzes – zesty Oreos?, etc) made any sense either.

According to Google, there are only around 100 Zorses (a hybrid between zebra and horse) in the world. Several years ago one breeder called the zorse "the horse of the future". But there is one hitch – zorses cannot breed, making their future bleak.

Zorse is also rumored to be the name of a puzzle game that the NYT has been testing, so this portmanteaux business could be a cunning bit of marketing. Zorse: the puzzle of the future. Or maybe it doesn't exist at all.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 15 December, game #287)

  • FULL
  • WANING
  • WAXING
  • GIBBOUS
  • QUARTER
  • CRESCENT
  • SPANGRAM: LUNAR PHASE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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Contributor

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.

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