• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Back in style
NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Friday, December 27 (game #299)
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #299) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
NYT Strands today (game #299) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
- SIXES
- TIRE
- MILLET
- NONE
- RIGS
- KEEP
NYT Strands today (game #299) – hint #3 – spangram
What is a hint for today’s spangram?
• The synth pop decade
NYT Strands today (game #299) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First side: top, 3rd column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #299) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #299, are…
- NEON
- PERM
- MULLET
- SPANDEX
- JUMPSUIT
- WINDBREAKER
- SPANGRAM: EIGHTIES
- My rating: Easy
- My score: Perfect
Maybe it says something about me but I spotted the words Break and Wind before I saw WINDBREAKER – although this is possibly because it’s not the most obvious of EIGHTIES fashions.
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SPANDEX – which is an anagram of Expands – seems very particular to the 1980s, but there is probably more of it around today than then, it’s just that we call it Lycra now.
In the UK two very particular sub sections of the male amateur cycling community have emerged in recent years: Lycra Lads – road racers so obsessed with speed and time that they don’t care who gets in their way as they go “aero”, and MAMILs which stands for Middle Aged Men in Lycra. I can’t help thinking both would be less keen on cladding themselves in clingy fabric if we still still called it Spandex.
How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Thursday, 26 December, game #298)
- AUNT
- INLAW
- GRANDCHILD
- NIECE
- COUSIN
- UNCLE
- NEPHEW
- SPANGRAM: REUNION
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints. Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints…
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