NYT Strands December 17: Crack Today’s “Out of Line” Puzzle Without Breaking Your Streak

Wednesday's NYT Strands #654 challenges players with an "Out of Line" theme—and it's trickier than it looks. If you're struggling to find words describing things that aren't quite straight or…

By Reetam Bodhak

December 17, 2025

3 min read

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Wednesday’s NYT Strands #654 challenges players with an “Out of Line” theme—and it’s trickier than it looks. If you’re struggling to find words describing things that aren’t quite straight or properly aligned, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to solve today’s puzzle without using all your hints.

NYT Puzzle #654 Quick Reference

Detail	Information
Puzzle Number	#654
Date	Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Theme	“Out of Line”
Spangram	ALITTLEOFF (10 letters)
Word Count	6 themed words + spangram
Difficulty	Medium

Today’s Theme Explained

The puzzle revolves around words describing things that are misaligned, crooked, or not quite straight. Think of objects leaning at odd angles or positioned diagonally when they should be level. The spangram ALITTLEOFF perfectly captures this concept—it spans from the A in the first row down to the double-F in the bottom row.

Strategic Hints

General nudge: Think synonyms for “crooked,” “slanted,” or “unbalanced.”

Word length: Answers contain 5-10 letters.

Starting point: Look for ASKEW first—it’s the easiest entry.

Hint words: Try DENT, ROOT, TOOT, TOPS, SLOP, SIDE, LAST to unlock clues.

For more daily puzzle strategies, check our word game guides and NYT puzzle solutions hub.

Complete Answers (Spoilers!)

Warning: Stop scrolling if you want to solve it yourself!

ASKEW – Off-center and improperly aligned
TILTED – Leaning at an awkward angle
ASLANT – Positioned diagonally
LOPSIDED – Unbalanced on one side
CROOKED – Not straight; bent improperly
AWRY – Twisted to one side

Spangram: ALITTLEOFF

Pro Solving Tips

Start short: ASKEW and AWRY use less common letter combinations, making them easier to spot.

Work edges: The spangram connects opposite sides—identifying its path eliminates letters from other searches.

Use momentum: Finding one alignment word helps your brain recognize similar concepts faster.

FAQs

Q: What does “ALITTLEOFF” mean in today’s puzzle?

A: The spangram “ALITTLEOFF” describes something slightly wrong or misaligned—perfectly capturing the “Out of Line” theme. It snakes from the A in the top row down to the double-F in the bottom row, connecting two opposite sides as spangrams always do in Strands.

Q: I found all words but can’t connect them—what’s wrong?

A: In Strands, letters connect in any direction (up, down, left, right, diagonal) with twisting paths. Unlike straight-line word searches, Strands requires tracing unexpected patterns. For today’s LOPSIDED and CROOKED, paths wind considerably. Try starting from the first letter and exploring every adjacent letter. Use hints (unlocked by finding three non-theme four-letter words) to highlight which letters belong to answers.