NYT Strands: Hints and Answers for Dec 24, 2024

The Christmas Eve edition of the **Strands** puzzle is here, and you might be curious whether today's puzzle embraces the holiday spirit. If you're finding today's puzzle challenging and need some assistance, our comprehensive guide below has everything you need to help you solve it.

In this article, you'll find spoiler-free general hints for this engaging mobile puzzle game, individual word spoilers if you're not saving up for in-game hints, an explanation of the puzzle's clue and theme, and even the complete solution if you're ready to see it all.

The NYT Games Strands Puzzle #296 December 24, 2024

Today's Strands puzzle comes with the clue Who on Earth...? You'll need to find one Spangram and six themed words, totaling seven items to discover.

New York Times Games Strands Clues

Looking for a couple of helpful tips without spoiling too much of this challenging puzzle game? The three sections below offer just that: subtle hints to guide you closer to today's theme.

General Hint 1

Hint 1: People that live on earth.

General Hint 2

Hint 2: Natural first names.

General Hint 3

Hint 3: Names that are things in nature.

Spoilers for Two of the Words in Today's Strands

Each of the two sections below contains one spoiler for this innovative puzzle game, along with a screenshot showing where that word fits in the puzzle. Only open these if you want individual spoilers for today's *Strands*.

Spoiler 1

Word 1: Brook

Spoiler 2

Word 2: Willow

The Answer to Today's New York Times Games Strands

The full solution to this free puzzle game, akin to *Wordle*, is revealed in the section below. By opening it, you'll see all the themed words, the Spangram, and a screenshot showing their placement in the grid.

Today's category is NatureNames. The words are Holly, Willow, Brook, Laurel, River, and Clementine.

Today's Strands Explained

If you're still puzzled, look below. This expandable section breaks down how the clue, the theme, and all the words connect.

Each of the themed words in today's puzzle falls under Nature Names, which are first names that also represent elements found in nature, such as River. The clue Who On Earth is fitting because it refers to these earthly names.

Ready to dive in? Visit the New York Times Games *Strands* website, accessible on nearly any device with a browser.