NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, December 19 (game #291)

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Jump to:

Hint #1: Today's theme
Hint #2: Clue words
Hint #3: Spangram
Hint #4: Spangram position
Today's answers
Yesterday's answers

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 #291) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Roll with it

NYT Strands today (game #291) - hint #2 - clue words

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

ROCK
PRESS
SKIN
TILT
RAGE
VITAL

NYT Strands today (game #291) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Swaying

NYT Strands today (game #291) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: right, 4th row

Last side: left, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #291) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 291 on a blue background — (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #291, are…

GLAM
METAL
PROGRESSIVE
GRUNGE
PUNK
ALTERNATIVE
SPANGRAM: ROCKING

My rating: Easy
My score: 1 hint

After yesterday’s SPINNERS, today we had rolling, although it wasn’t the kind that comes from moving along a surface and was instead the one that goes with ROCKING.

There are hundreds of rock genres from Acid Rock to Yacht Rock but Strands took it easy on us and went with the A-listers – although I did go with Prog before seeing the full-length PROGRESSIVE.

I used to have a friend whose brother was massively into Prog Rock and as children we’d marvel at their album collection and the gatefold sleeves, which would invariably involve pyramids and some form of nudity. We’d attempt to make sense of the music, with its 12-minute-long jams and songs about mice called Gerald, but mainly it was looking at the album covers. Who doesn’t love a pyramid?

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 18 December, game #290)

DRYER
EARTH
TIRES
FOOTBALL
PINWHEEL
BALLERINA
SPANGRAM: SPINNERS

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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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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