Chain Gang - Hint added

(A la Pandora) Join these 13 words into a chain. Pick one word to start. The word that
follows will do at least one of the following: (a) rhyme with it, (b) be an anagram of it,
(c) have the same meaning, or (d) have one letter different. Work forward and backward
to complete the chain. The first and last words will not connect. For example: state, great,
large, lager, later

This is a one person solve.

-crate, grate, hinge, neigh, paste, smash, spate, strap, stray, tinge, trace, trash, waste

Hint: Start with smash or strap.

Hint added.

smash,trash,waste,paste,spate,grate,crate,trace,tinge,hinge,neigh,stray,strap

Excellent, manxman!