The New York Times’ Strands puzzle for December 19th centers around a culinary theme: “On the chopping block.” Players must identify hidden words related to food preparation techniques, including a long “spangram” that spans the grid.
Hints and Clues
If you’re struggling, the key to this puzzle is thinking about knife skills in the kitchen. The game rewards you with theme-related words once you uncover at least three words of four letters or more. Some useful terms to start with include:
- MAKE
- MAKING
- KING
- DINE
- MICE
- LIVE
- CHIFFON
- MINE
Answers
The complete solution set for today’s puzzle includes:
- CUBE
- JULIENNE
- DICE
- CHIFFONADE
- SLICE
- MINCE
The spangram, which stretches across the entire board, is MAKINGTHECUT. Begin at the “M” on the far-left row, three letters down, and trace the path to uncover it.
Past Challenges
Recent Strands puzzles that proved particularly difficult for players included themes like dated slang (January 21st, with “PHAT” as the hardest word) and nautical terms (January 15th, where “BALEEN” or “RIGHT” stumped many).
Finding all the theme words in Strands ensures that every letter on the board is used, offering a satisfying sense of completion.
