Today's NYT 'Strands' Hints, Spangram and Answers for Saturday, December 6

Move over,Wordle,Connections, andMini Crossword—there's a new NYT word game in town! The NewYork Times's recent game, "Strands," is becoming more and more popular as another daily activity fans can find on the NYT website and app.

With daily themes and "spangrams" to discover, this is the latest addicting game to cross off your to-do list before a new one pops up 24 hours later.

We'll cover exactly how to play Strands, hints for today's Spangram, and all of the answers for Strands #643 on Saturday,December6.

How To Play Strands

The New York Times

According to the New York Times, here's exactly how to play Strands:

Find theme words to fill the board.

  • Theme words stay highlighted in blue when found.

  • Drag or tap letters to create words. If tapping, double-tap the last letter to submit.

  • Theme words fill the board entirely. No theme words overlap.

Find the "spangram."

  • The spangram describes the puzzle's theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. It may be two words.

  • The spangram highlights in yellow when found.

  • An example spangram with corresponding theme words: PEAR, FRUIT, BANANA, APPLE, etc.

Need a hint?

  • Find non-theme words to get hints.

  • For every three non-theme words you find, you earn a hint.

  • Hints show the letters of a theme word. If there is already an active hint on the board, a hint will show that word's letter order.

What Is Today's Strands Hint for the Theme:"Tolkien's world"

A hint for today's Strands game: One ring to rule them all.

What Are Today's NYT Strands Hints?

Warning: Spoilers ahead!In today's puzzle, there areseventheme words to find (including the spangram). Here are the first two letters for each word:

  • RI

  • FO

  • WI

  • SH

  • HO

  • DW

  • QU

  • MI (SPANGRAM)

NYT Strands Spangram Hint: Is It Vertical or Horizontal?

Today's Spangram is mostly horizontal.

NYT Strands Spangram Answer Today

Today's Spangram answer on Today's NYT 'Strands' Hints, Spangram and Answers for Saturday, December 6, 2025, isMIDDLEEARTH.

What Are Today's NYT Strands Answers, Word List for Saturday, December 6?

  • RING

  • FOREST

  • WIZARD

  • SHIRE

  • HOBBIT

  • DWARF

  • QUEST

  • SPANGRAM: MIDDLEEARTH

Related: Crate & Barrel Is Selling This Fan-Favorite Espresso Machine at a Price You Won't Believe: 'Obsessed'

This story was originally published byParadeon Dec 6, 2025, where it first appeared in theLifesection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

Today’s NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram and Answers for Saturday, December 6

Move over,Wordle,Connections, andMini Crossword—there's a new NYT word game in town! The NewYork Times's recent g...
NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Saturday, December 6, 2025

Get excited—there's another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who alreadyWordle,Connections,Strandsand theMini Crosswordnow have Connections Sports Edition to add to the mix.So, if you're looking for some hints and answers for today's Connections Sports Edition on Saturday,December6, 2025, you've come to the right place.

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Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Saturday, December 6, 2025 / The New York TimesThe New York Times

What Is Connections Sports Edition?

Connections Sports Edition is just like the regular Connections word puzzle, in that it's a game that resets at 12 a.m. EST each day and has 16 different words listed. It's up to you to figure out each group of four words that belong to a certain category, with four categories in total.

This new version is sports-specific, however, as a partnership between The New York Times and The Athletic.

As the NYT site instructs, for Connections Sports Edition, you "group sports terms that share a common thread."

Related:The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You'll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle

Hints for Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories on December 6, 2025

Here are some hints about the four categories to help you figure out the word groupings.

  • Yellow: The big leagues.

  • Green: Alma mater.

  • Blue: Hoops stars.

  • Purple: 2004 sports comedy.

Here Are Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories

OK, time for a second hint…we'll give you the actual categories now. Spoilers below!

  • Yellow: PRO TEAMS WHOSE NAMES START WITH D

  • Green: DIVISION I COLLEGES

  • Blue: BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMERS

  • Purple: FIVE Ds OF DODGEBALL

If you're looking for the answers, no worries—we've got them below. So, don't scroll any further if you don't want to see the solutions!The answers to today's Connections Sports Edition #439 are coming up next.Related:15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day

What Are the Answers to Connections Sports Edition Today?

  • PRO TEAMS WHOSE NAMES START WITH D: DEVILS, DIAMONDBACKS, DOLPHINS, DREAM

  • DIVISION I COLLEGES: DARTMOUTH, DAYTON, DEPAUL, DUKE

  • BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMERS: DIVAC, DONOVAN, DREXLER, DUNCAN

  • FIVE Ds OF DODGEBALL: DIP, DIVE, DODGE, DUCK

Don't worry if you didn't get them this time—we've all been there.

Up next,catch up on the answers to recent Wordle puzzles.

Related: Target's Festive Frosted Glassware Set Is Perfect for Celebrating the Holidays in Vintage Style

This story was originally published byParadeon Dec 6, 2025, where it first appeared in theLifesection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Saturday, December 6, 2025

Get excited—there's another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who alrea...
Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris arrested in Japan for alleged ecstasy smuggling

TOKYO (AP) — Prominent American playwright and actor,Jeremy O. Harris, known for his Tony-nominated "Slave Play," was arrested in Japan on suspicion of smuggling the psychedelic drug ecstasy, officials said Saturday.

Officers at Naha Airport on Japan's southern island of Okinawa arrested Harris on Nov. 16 for an alleged violation ofcustoms lawfor having 0.78 grams (0.0275 ounces ) of the crystalized drug, also known asMDMA, in a container in a tote bag he was carrying, according to Okinawa Regional Customs spokesperson Tatsunori Fukuda.

Harris, 36, had left London's Heathrow Airport two days earlier and transited in Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport before arriving in Naha for sightseeing, Fukuda said. Okinawa is a popular resort destination with mild weather throughout the year.

Fukuda said Harris was arrested on the spot and taken into custody by the Tomishiro police, which filed a criminal complaint to the Naha District Prosecutors' Office Thursday for further investigation and possible indictment.

Japanese authorities did not find any other drugs in his luggage and believe the MDMA was for his personal use. They are still investigating, Fukuda said, while adding that whether Harris made any comment on the case could not be released.

There was no immediate comment from Harris' representatives.

Japanese criminal procedures allow investigators to keep a suspect in custody for up to 23 days before indictment, and pretrial detention can be prolonged if the accused exercises their right of silence or denies the charges, a practice widely criticized as "hostage justice."

Those convicted of drug smuggling in Japan can face a multiyear prison term.

Harris burst onto the arts scenewith "Slave Play,"written while he was still a graduate student at the Yale School of Drama. It premiered off-Broadway in 2018, inciting controversy and even a petition to shut down the production with its provocative mix of race, class and sexual taboos. It moved to Broadway the following year, earning a Tony nomination for best play, but did not win an award.

In addition to small acting roles, he's cameoed as himself on a rebooted "Gossip Girl" and served as a coproducer on several episodes of HBO's hit series "Euphoria."

Associated Press writer Mallika Sen in New York contributed to this report.

Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris arrested in Japan for alleged ecstasy smuggling

TOKYO (AP) — Prominent American playwright and actor,Jeremy O. Harris, known for his Tony-nominated "Slave Play,...
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty  Timothee Chalamet

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • Timothée Chalamet is making it clear that he's always ready to dance to Soulja Boy

  • Appearing at the CCXP convention in São Paolo, Brazil to promote his film Marty Supreme, Chalamet took the stage dancing to "Crank That"

  • This isn't the first time Chalamet's performed the dance — in 2024, he taught the steps to podcast host Brittany Broski

Timothée Chalametis making it abundantly clear that he's got the steps down to Soulja Boy's "Crank That."

While appearing at the CCXP entertainment convention in São Paolo, Brazil, to promote his filmMarty Supremeon Friday, Dec. 5, Chalamet, 29, fired up the crowd with a high-energy take on rapper Soulja Boy's eponymous dance, inspired by the 2007 track "Crank That (Soulja Boy)."

Infootageshared to X from the convention, Chalamet can be seen taking the stage in a green and yellow pullover. The second he hits the dance's first steps, the crowd breaks out into deafening cheers.

In anotherclip, Chalamet removes his pullover, revealing a grey hoodie with "USA" printed on the back, and tosses the jacket to a fan in the crowd. He then pulls off the hoodie, throwing it to another fan, to reveal a white tank top as he greets the crowd with an enthusiastic "Yeah."

He came to Brazil@CCXPoficialpic.twitter.com/fcRf9lrG7k

— Marty Supreme (@martysupreme)December 5, 2025

This isn't the first time that Chalamet's shown off his Soulja Boy skills. In December 2024, theA Complete Unknownactorappearedon the podcastThe Broski Report, where he cranked it alongside host Brittany Broski, teaching her the dance's signature moves along the way.

Chalamet's enthusiasm for dancing has been well-documented. In 2021, hisDuneco-starZendayashared that she and Chalamet haddance partiesin her hotel room during filming. He also did a lot of dancing in his turn as Willy Wonka in the 2023 filmWonka.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

And, like Soulja Boy, Chalamet once had ambitions as a rapper. In 2012, Chalametperformedas his alter-ego, Lil Timmy Tim, at an event held at his alma mater, New York's LaGuardia High School.

In recent weeks, he's been busypromotingthe release ofMarty Supreme, the Josh Safdie film in which he portrays the titular character, a ping-pong champion with a dream "no one respects," according to an official synopsis.

Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, whose story is loosely inspired by real-life Jewish American tennis table pioneer Marty Reisman, who died in 2012.

Marty Supremeis in theaters on Dec. 25.

Read the original article onPeople

Timothée Chalamet Dances to Soulja Boy Once Again During 'Marty Supreme' Tour Stop

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty NEED TO KNOW Timothée Chalamet is making it clear that he's always ready to dance to Soulja Boy Appearing a...
Getty Man on laptop (stock image)

NEED TO KNOW

  • A man says his 19-year-old son got a woman pregnant during a one-night stand

  • He says his son now refuses to take any responsibility for the situation, and so he and his wife are doing "everything" in relation to the pregnant woman and their unborn grandchild

  • The man shared his story on a popular community forum to seek advice on how to navigate the stressful situation

A man says his 19-year-old son got a young woman pregnant during aone-night standbut refuses to take any real responsibility for his actions.

The man detailed the situation on a forum on Mumsnet.com, a U.K.-based community site where people can go to seek input and advice on a variety of issues. In hispost,the man said that his son met a girl at a party a number of months back. They only saw each other for a "single weekend," but she is "now pregnant."

The original poster (OP) said that his son began dating another girl shortly after the fling — but before he knew the mother-to-be was pregnant — and he has now been seriously dating the other woman for about three months. He additionally said that his son "becomes very withdrawn" at any mention of themother-to-beor their future baby.

Getty Teen on phone (stock image)

The man went on to share that his son and the mom-to-be come from very different backgrounds and life experiences.

"Where my son has led a charmed life, the girl has not. She's had a tough series of life experiences that had resulted in her being put into [foster] care, all through no fault of her own," he explained.

"I really like her. She's smart, tenacious and fiercely independent," the man continued, adding that he and his wife have built "a solid relationship" with her since they learned of the pregnancy. He also said that he and his wife invited the young woman to come stay with them for theremainder of her pregnancy.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"She was [doing] very poorly during the later stages of her pregnancy and my wife and I stepped in to ensure she was properly taken care of," he explained.

Diana Bagnoli/Getty Pregnant woman (stock image)

Diana Bagnoli/Getty

However, the OP said his son is less than thrilled about the new development.

"He struggles to talk to her and I think isvery intimidatedby both her and the situation. [He was] vocal about being uncomfortable that she's staying at our house," he said.

The man said he is now having "big arguments" with his son about the situation.

"I really want him to rise to the challenge, but he's not being emotionally available or supportive," he said, adding, "His current girlfriend is quite needy [and] I believe she is behind some of his reluctance to engage [as he fears] it will be the end of their relationship."

"How do I get him to take an interest?" the OP asked, adding that his son does not attend any doctor's appointments with the mom-to-be, nor has he"saved any money"to help.

Getty Man with baby (stock image)

"I fear he's happy to sit back and let my wife and I do everything whilst he hides at his girlfriend's," he continued.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

"I'd really welcome any advice on this, as I'm increasingly really worried," the OP said at the end of his post.

Several commenters said that they'd use tough love on their child if they were in the OP's shoes.

"I'd be so disappointed in my son in this circumstance. In fact, I'd probably ask him to move out and ask the young woman to move in. That way, you can be there to support her and the baby," one person said.

"I'd be telling my son to find somewhere else to live as his room will soon be going to his child," said someone else.

"You and your wife are absolutely brilliant — well done you both," said someone else. "I don't have anyconcrete adviceexcept to keep modeling what you want to see, behavior-wise, from him. He is very young and green, but you're right, he needs to step up."

Read the original article onPeople

Father Says He’s Left Doing ‘Everything’ After His Son Refuses to Help a Woman He Got Pregnant During One-Night Stand

NEED TO KNOW A man says his 19-year-old son got a woman pregnant during a one-night stand He says his son now refuses to take any responsi...
DOJ does not detail advice to Noem on El Salvador deportations, citing privilege

Department of Justice officials, citing privilege, did not disclose details on the legal advice given to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the decision to continue the deportation of more than 100 Venezuelans to El Salvador in March.

The declarations filed in court Friday are a response to a contempt inquiry initiated by U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, who is determining whetherNoem or anyone elseshould be referred for potential contempt prosecution.

The court filings Friday were submitted after DOJ lawyers said in a filing last week that Noem directed the deportation flights to continue despite Boasberg's order to return the planes to the U.S. as he heard a legal challenge to the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport the Venezuelans, whom the Trump administration accused of being gang members.

Ronda Churchill/AP - PHOTO: Kristi Noem

Judge weighs potential contempt prosecution referral for Kristi Noem in El Salvador deportations

In her declaration, Noem confirmed she made the decision to continue the transfer of the detainees after receiving legal advice from DOJ leadership and from Joseph Mazarra, the acting general counsel of DHS.

In the filings Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, a DOJ official in March who is now a U.S. circuit judge, declined to provide details on the "privileged" legal advice they gave to Noem.

"DOJ has not authorized me to disclose privileged information in this declaration," Bove said.

Mazarra, in his declaration, said that he analyzed Judge Boasberg'sorder that sought to block the deportationsand then provided Noem with legal advice.

"DHS had removed these terrorists from the U.S. before this Court issued any order (or oral statement regarding their removal)," Mazarra wrote in the filing Friday.

In a separate filing, DOJ attorneys said it would be "prejudicial and constitutionally improper" to compel testimony from the officials who submitted declarations in advance of a referral for prosecution.

Handout/Salvadoran Government via Getty - PHOTO: Salvadoran Government Receives 238 Alleged Members Of Criminal Organizations 'Tren De Aragua' and 'MS13'

Judge says he will move forward with contempt inquiry into AEA deportations

"[The] Court has all the information it needs to make a referral if it believes one to be justified, and further factual inquiry by the Court would raise constitutional and privilege concerns," the DOJ attorneys stated.

In response to the declarations, Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which has challenged the AEA deportations in court, told ABC News "the Trump administration is again refusing to cooperate with a federal court."

In March, the Trump administration invoked the AEA -- an 18th-century wartime authority used to remove noncitizens with little-to-no due process -- to deport two planeloads of alleged migrant gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador by arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a "hybrid criminal state" that is invading the United States.

In a March 15 court hearing, Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order and ordered that the planes carrying the detainees be turned around, but Justice Department attorneys have said his oral instructions directing the flight to be returned were defective, and the deportations proceeded as planned.

Boasberg's earlier finding that the Trump administration likely acted in contempt was halted for months after an appeals courtissued an emergency stay. A federal appeals court last monthdeclined to reinstateBoasberg's original order, but the ruling allowed him to move forward with his fact-finding inquiry.

DOJ does not detail advice to Noem on El Salvador deportations, citing privilege

Department of Justice officials, citing privilege, did not disclose details on the legal advice given to Department of Ho...
The World Cup trophy

England will begin their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia, while Scotland have been drawn alongside Brazil at next summer's tournament.

Thomas Tuchel's England will open their tournament in Dallas or Toronto on Wednesday, 17 June, before also facing Ghana and Panama in Group L.

Scotland's first match at the men's World Cup for 28 years will be against Haiti on Saturday, 13 June, in Boston or New York, followed by matches against Morocco and Brazil in Group C.

Wales or Northern Ireland would join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B, should either come through two rounds of Uefa play-off matches in March.

The Republic of Ireland could meet Mexico, South Africa and South Korea if they qualify.

The first-ever 48-team World Cup will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States between 11 June and 19 July 2026.

World Cup 2026 draw in full

*Uefa play-off A: Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland

*Uefa play-off B: Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden

*Uefa play-off C: Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania

*Uefa play-off D: Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland or North Macedonia

*Fifa play-off 1: DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia

*Fifa play-off 2: Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname

A map of the three countries and 16 cities which will host the 2026 World Cup

Where and when each nation will play their matches will be confirmed in a separate draw on Saturday at 17:00 GMT, but there is some certainty at this stage.

After their opener against Croatia - which comes six days after the tournament gets under way - England will play Ghana on Tuesday, 23 June in Toronto or Boston, before their final group game against Panama on Saturday, 27 June in Philadelphia or New York.

Following their first men's World Cup match since 1998 against Haiti, Scotland face Morocco on Friday, 19 June in Boston or Philadelphia, while their meeting with Brazil takes place on Wednesday, 24 June in Atlanta or Miami.

Mexico will take on South Africa at Estadio Azteca in the opening match of the expanded tournament, which will involve 104 matches across 16 cities.

In a major change to the draw, the top four nations in the Fifa world rankings - Spain, Argentina, France and England - have been awarded special seedings which ensure they cannot meet until the semi-finals, assuming each wins their group.

England, the Euro 2024 runners-up, could meet the winner of Brazil's group in the quarter-finals.

If they win Group L, the Three Lions will face one of the eight best-performing third-placed sides in the first round of knockout matches.

Drawn from pot three, Scotland must play Fifa's fifth and 11th best-ranked nations in Brazil - who they will face for a fifth time at a World Cup - and Morocco as they bid to reach the knockout stage.

There will be 12 groups of four teams at next summer's tournament. The groups were drawn from four pots, into which teams had been placed based on their position in Fifa's rankings.

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout stages, along with the eight best third-placed teams.

England verdict: 'Difficult group, difficult opener'

England head coach Tuchel oversaw a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign, his team winning all their eight matches without conceding a goal.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the draw, the German said: "Difficult group, difficult opener. Croatia and Ghana [are] two regulars in World Cups and two proud and strong nations. Panama I don't know much about at the moment, but we will before the tournament starts.

"For me, I've only experienced group football in Champions League formats and the way to approach it was to always give it the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. It always seems difficult, like our group now, but we are confident and we will be well prepared when we arrive."

Croatia were the highest-ranked nation England could have drawn from pot two, and they are the side England lost to in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

In the group stage at that same tournament, England defeated Panama 6-1.

"Nobody should be underestimated. Of course Croatia is the standout nation but Ghana is always full of talent, can always surprise and has a big history in World Cup football," Tuchel said.

"Panama will try to make the most of their underdog role. No-one can be underestimated, everyone deserves the fullest respect."

Scotland verdict: 'We'll bring a little bit of magic'

Scotland stunned Denmark with two stoppage-time goals as they secured World Cup qualification in a dramatic winner-takes-all final group game last month.

Nearly three decades after their most recent men's World Cup appearance, they will meet two of the nations they faced at France 98 in Brazil and Morocco, plus the lesser-known quantity of Haiti.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke told BBC Sport: "The draw is fantastic. One of the big things in my head was no European teams, so we're playing three top sides from three different continents of the world and that's what the World Cup is about."

Looking ahead to facing record five-time champions Brazil, Clarke said: "We are going to bring a little bit of magic as well, hopefully.

"It's great to play them. To go back to 1998, when Brazil and Morocco were in the group, that's a little bit of fate."

A World Cup of '104 Super Bowls'

US President Donald Trump was awarded the new Fifa Peace Prize during a star-studded draw ceremony which lasted for more than two hours in Washington DC.

Trump was presented with a trophy, medal and certificate by Fifa president Gianni Infantino and said the award, introduced to recognise an individual's actions for peace and unity, was "one of the great honours of my life".

Fifa president Infantino described the 2026 World Cup for American viewers as equivalent to watching "104 Super Bowls in one month".

The event was presented by comedian Kevin Hart, model Heidi Klum and actor Danny Ramirez, and featured live music performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Lauryn Hill.

Former England and Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand conducted the draw, accompanied by American sporting greats Tom Brady, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O'Neal, and Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

Co-hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States had pre-determined group positions to ensure they will contest all group matches in their own countries.

But Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum each drew their own nation's ball to begin proceedings.

England start World Cup against Croatia, Scotland to face Brazil

England will begin their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia, while Scotland have been drawn alongside Brazil at next summer's tou...

 

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