Strands Stumps Players with “On the Ice” Challenge

The New York Times launched its newest puzzle, Strands. This game challenges players to find theme-related words in a letter grid. The puzzle for Monday, December 1, 2025, featured a winter sports theme.

According to The New York Times, the game is part of their expanding games section. It has quickly gained a dedicated following. Players found today’s theme, “On the ice,” to be a moderate test of their vocabulary.

How Strands Works and Today’s Spangram Revealed

The goal of Strands is to connect letters to form words. These words must all relate to a common theme. One special word, the Spangram, spans the entire grid.

The Spangram is key to solving the puzzle. It often summarizes the theme. For December 1st, the Spangram was the word HOCKEYRINK, placed horizontally.

Breaking Down the “On the Ice” Theme Words

Today’s puzzle included six theme words. They were all items or concepts found in an ice hockey context. Words included GOALS, PUCK, and STICKS.

Other answers were SKATES, SCOREBOARD, and ZAMBONI. This mix tested players’ knowledge of the sport. The difficulty was rated a 2 out of 5 by experienced solvers.

Info at your fingertips

What is the theme for today’s NYT Strands?

The theme for the December 1, 2025 puzzle is “On the ice.” This relates to items and concepts associated with ice hockey and skating rinks.

What was the Spangram for today’s Strands?

The Spangram was HOCKEYRINK. It was positioned horizontally across the game board and is the key thematic element for the puzzle.

What are the theme words for December 1st?

The six theme words are GOALS, PUCK, STICKS, SKATES, SCOREBOARD, and ZAMBONI. All words are directly connected to the ice hockey theme.

How difficult was today’s Strands puzzle?

Based on solver feedback, the puzzle had a moderate difficulty. It was generally rated a 2 out of 5, making it accessible for most players.