NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, December 9 (game #281)

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Our clues will help you solve the NYT's Strands today and keep that streak going

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
(Image credit: New York Times)
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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 #281) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Quiet at first

NYT Strands today (game #281) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • SLAP
  • POEM
  • NOISEY
  • MILE
  • SMELT
  • PONY

NYT Strands today (game #281) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• What’s an aphthong?

NYT Strands today (game #281) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 4th row

Second: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #281) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 281 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #281, are…

  • WRAP
  • PSALM
  • GNOME
  • HONESTY
  • MNEMONIC
  • KNUCKLE
  • SPANGRAM: SILENT LETTER
  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 2 hints

After seeing the clue and spotting the word Noisey in the grid, it appeared that today’s Strands was about sounds; instead Noisey and Noise just helped get closer to a hint – something that was much needed with today's SILENT LETTER theme.

Even after working out the connecting theme once I'd been gifted WRAP, I still struggled to find these dreaded aphthongs – you could say it gnawed at me and momentarily turned me into a psycho ready to wreak havoc on the pseudo Strands setters, pterodactyl style – but then I connected the Spangram snake, untwisted my knickers and all was good with the world.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 8 December, game #280)

  • FACE
  • HANDS
  • BEZEL
  • CROWN
  • LUXURY
  • DIGITAL
  • ANALOG
  • SPANGRAM: WATCHWORDS

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.

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Johnny Dee
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Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.

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