New York Times Strands Puzzle Hints for December 5 Released

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Times has released hints for its Strands puzzle, set for December 5, 2025. The Strands game, similar to classic word searches, challenges players to find themed words within a six by eight grid of letters.

Each day, players can engage with a new puzzle that incorporates a collective theme and a special word called a spangram. The spangram connects at least two sides of the grid and gives players a hint about the theme. For today’s puzzle, the spangram is “DINING OUT,” indicating a food-related theme.

The goal is to identify seven theme words, which will be highlighted in blue. The spangram, distinguished by its yellow highlight, may include proper names. Also, players can unlock a hint button after identifying three valid words of at least four letters that are not part of the theme.

“Sometimes you have to fill in missing words or find synonyms, so players must be alert,” a representative from NYT explained. “The difficulty of the puzzle can vary from day to day, keeping users engaged and challenged.”

Players can navigate the grid vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, and can even switch directions while spelling words. For touchscreen users, a double-tap on the last letter submitted will submit the guess.

To order their discoveries, players are encouraged to work their way from left to right and top to bottom. With the food theme in mind, it’s expected that participants will enjoy a unique experience while searching for today’s words.

The NYT Strands game can be accessed via the New York Times Games app, alongside other popular games such as Wordle and Connections. Updates and hints for Strands and other word games will continue to be provided by NYT contributors.