Here we are with another NYT Strands themed pun. “Hold up” is a good one, I admit, and it led me to find the normal answers first and discover the Spangram as the final word.

Once you understand the wordplay of the theme, that's probably how you solve the puzzle. If you're struggling, know that the theme isn't about slowing down or stopping anything. It's more of a humorous and ambiguous way to define the theme, like "noodle on this one" and "they're good people" that we've seen in recent puzzles. Here are some hints to help you with the Spangram and all the answers.

The spangram is horizontal and runs from left to right, with the left letter lower than the right letter.

The first letter is “A” and the last letter is “E.”