Strands hint puzzle 667 drops today with the theme “2025 Top Twenty,” and players are hunting for those defining earworm songs that dominated the year. Need a little help figuring out the grid? Here’s your complete guide to crushing this musical puzzle.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Today’s puzzle number is 667, released on Tuesday, December 30, 2025
- The official theme is “2025 Top Twenty” featuring the year’s biggest hit songs
- The spangram (the puzzle’s anchor word) is HITSONGS
- Theme words include MANCHILD, ABRACADABRA, GOLDEN, and DAISIES from popular 2025 tracks
Understanding the 2025 Top Twenty Theme
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Today’s puzzle focuses on the biggest musical hits that defined 2025. The spangram HITSONGS runs vertically down the left side of the board, starting with the H at the top and traveling downward. This theme connects to yearly earworms—those catchy songs you can’t shake from your head all year long.
The puzzle challenge is to identify which 2025 Top Twenty songs are hidden in the grid. Each theme word comes from titles that made major waves on streaming platforms and radio throughout the entire year. These aren’t obscure tracks either—they’re mainstream hits millions of players have actually heard.
Key Theme Words and Hidden Answers
| Theme Word | Related Song/Artist | Difficulty |
| MANCHILD | Popular 2025 track | Medium |
| ABRACADABRA | Viral 2025 hit | Medium |
| GOLDEN | Year’s earworm | Easy |
| DAISIES | 2025 streaming favorite | Medium |
Pro Tips for Finding the Spangram
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The spangram HITSONGS is the longest word on the board and touches two opposite sides. Start by looking at the left column of letters where you’ll find the H at the top. From there, trace downward through the grid following the letters I-T-S-O-N-G-S. This word spans from the top of the board straight down one side.
Finding the spangram first gives you a huge advantage because it eliminates five letter spaces from your search grid. Once you know where HITSONGS sits, the remaining theme words become much easier to spot. The blue highlighting will confirm you’re correct once you find them.
Non-Theme Words to Unlock Hints
If you’re struggling with the theme words, the game rewards you for finding non-theme words. These are regular vocabulary words scattered on the board that aren’t related to music. Common ones today include STAY, BRAISE, SCORN, and BLOG. Finding each non-theme word gives you one free hint to help crack the harder theme words.
Work the edges of the board first where non-theme words often hide. Short words like STAY and BLOG are your quickest wins. The more clue words you find, the more hints you unlock, so spend two to three minutes hunting for these freebie helper words before going all-in on the music theme.
Why Is Puzzle 667 Actually Challenging for Players?
This puzzle is harder than it sounds because song knowledge varies by listener. If you don’t follow pop radio or streaming charts, you might not recognize which 2025 Top Twenty songs are hiding in the grid. The puzzle designer picked deep cuts alongside obvious mainstream hits, mixing difficulty levels intentionally.
The board also uses tricky letter arrangements where songs can appear diagonally or horizontally, not just in straight lines. This forces you to think creatively about how words snake across the grid. Many players solve the spangram and easy theme words in minutes, then spend five to ten minutes hunting for the final two or three hidden songs. Does this match your experience so far?
Sources
- New York Times Games – Official Strands Sidekick puzzle guide
- Forbes – Daily Strands hints and spangram solutions
- CNET – Gaming puzzle help and strategy

Annabelle Ink is a gaming journalist and lifelong gamer who lives and breathes video game culture. From console releases to esports tournaments, this dedicated journalist brings insider knowledge and genuine enthusiasm to every review and feature. Her expertise spans multiple gaming platforms, helping readers discover their next favorite game while staying connected to the pulse of the gaming industry.

