NYT Strands Answers for Dec. 26: The 'Boxing Day' Puzzle Was a Clever Trap
Stuck on the NYT Strands for December 26, 2025? Get all the answers here and discover the secret 'box' theme hidden behind the 'Boxing Day' clue.
Think today's New York Times Strands is about shopping? Think again. The puzzle for December 26, 2025, hid its true theme inside a clever linguistic box.
Today's Hint and Misdirection
The official theme hint was "Please hold," which immediately suggests carrying shopping bags. This seemed confirmed when the spangram—the word spanning the grid—was revealed to be BOXING DAY. But this was a brilliant piece of misdirection from the NYT puzzle editors.
Strands Answers for Dec. 26: The Real Theme is 'Box'
The actual theme was words that can be preceded by "BOX." The spangram itself was a pun. Every answer in today's grid fits this hidden rule, creating that satisfying "aha!" moment.
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