Today’s NYT Strands Tips, Answers and Help for Dec. 17, #289

Looking for the more recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands suggestionsas well as our daily answers and hints for the New York Times Mini crossword, Wordle and connection puzzle.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to connect today’s headline Wires puzzle with its theme. The title of the puzzle is “It’s lit!” which I understand as a Gen Z phrase for something that’s exciting or fun, like a party. But as an English major, I should have seen immediately that “lit” is also short for “literature”. Anyway, if you need more hints and answers for today’s Strands puzzle, read on.

Also, go in depth on the rules for Strands in this story.

If you are looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle suggestions page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These are the 5 hardest puzzles so far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands topic is: It is enlightened!

If that doesn’t help, here’s a clue: Sections in a library.

Hint words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find the hidden words that fit the theme of the puzzle. If you are stuck, find all the words you can. Whenever you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get these suggestions, but any four or more letter words you find will work:

• CAME, MACE, RENT, RIME, WETS, MORE, CHOIR, CHOIRS, HINGE, TING, TINGE, STEW, WEST, REST, LATE.

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that link to the topic. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have them all (originally I thought there were always eight, but I learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram responses:

• CRIME, FANTASY, ROMANCE, WESTERN, HISTORICAL

Strands spangram of today

Today’s Spangram of Strands is GENRE OF FICTION. To find it, start with the F which is four letters in the first row on the far left, and the wind across.