NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #286 (Saturday, December 14 2024)

NYT Strands on a cellphone
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide/NY Times/Shutterstock)
Strands today: Quick menu

Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "Nothing can stop me!" — is rather obtuse, even with a couple of answers on the board.

Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #286, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #286, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #286.

Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints

The official theme for NYT Strands #286 is... "Nothing can stop me!"

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "You need the ambition".

If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:

  • TESTS
  • VOTES
  • FRIED
  • TINNY
  • DETER
  • STARE
  • TENNIS

Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with 'G' and ends with 'R'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's GOGETTER.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #286?

Drumroll, please...

  • FIRE
  • DRIVE
  • PASSION
  • PURPOSE
  • DEVOTION
  • INTENSITY

Strands #286

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was GOGETTER.

Strands #286

“Nothing can stop me!”

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🟡🔵

Hi Strands fans. A fiddly one today, thanks in part to the obtuse theme: "Nothing can stop me!". It makes sense looking back on the finished board, but it doesn't give much to latch onto when you have a blank grid in front of you.

Which is why I ended up using no fewer than three clues before I got a handle on things. They produced FIRE, DRIVE and PASSION, at which point I finally cottoned onto what it all meant. I must be having a slow day.

Anyway, those three words made it clear this was about ambition, so I got to work on the remaining four words. I found PURPOSE in the bottom-right corner, followed by DEVOTION running across the top half.

I was then able to spell out GOGETTER across the board for the spangram, which left one answer left to find. I unpicked the anagram of TESNNIITY to spell INTENSITY and completed the puzzle. Painful, but I got there in the end.

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #285 right here.

Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.