New York Times Reveals Clues and Answers for Crossword Puzzle #638 on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025

If youre searching for help with the latest NYT Strands puzzle, youre in the right spot. Here, youll find hints and full answers for Mondays puzzle #638. Using a few clues isnt cheatingits all part of the challenge.

Understanding NYT Strands

NYT Strands resembles a word search. Players face a grid of letters6 across and 8 down. Within it, approximately seven words are hidden, and the objective is to uncover them all. Letters can connect horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, forming unexpected shapes. Every letter on the board is used, and the ultimate goal is to discover the spangram, the word that ties all the hidden words together.

For example, in a past puzzle, the theme was Thats so sweet!, with the spangram sugary, and every hidden word related to types of sugar.

Gameplay Tips

• Finding a four-letter word that isnt part of the puzzle still helps progress toward a hint.
• Every three words found unlock a Hint icon in the bottom left of the screen.
• Clicking the Hint icon highlights the letters of the next answer, without showing their connection.
• Additional hints can guide you through the word letter by letter, but using them affects your final score.

You can play only once per day, and the timer resets at midnight, similar to Wordle and Connections.

Todays Puzzle Theme

The theme for puzzle #638 is related to ice. Heres another tip: think beyond figure skating. You can also find non-theme four-letter words to trigger hints. Examples include:

• SICK
• SOCK
• NOTE
• ROBE
• LOCK
• CONS
• TICK
• STIR
• GRIN

Spangram Details

The spangram is 10 letters long. Finding its length can be a helpful clue when searching for the hidden words.

Words to Find in Puzzle #638

• GOALS
• PUCK
• SKATES
• ZAMBONI
• SCOREBOARD
• STICK

Todays spangram is HOCKEYRINK. It starts with H in the first row and snakes down and back up around the K in the same row.

Final Thoughts

For fans of ice skating, todays theme is especially enjoyable. How did you do with uncovering all the words? Share your results in the comments.

Author: Sophia Brooks