Looking for NYT Strands hints today? You’ve come to the right place. Whether you need a gentle nudge or the full answer list, we’ve got everything you need to solve today’s Strands puzzle #717 without spoiling the fun.
What Is NYT Strands?
NYT Strands is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times that puts a clever twist on the classic word search. Players must find hidden words in a 6×8 grid of 48 letters. Words can snake in any direction — up, down, left, right, or diagonal — and can even change direction mid-word. Every single letter in the grid must be used.
Each puzzle has a theme connecting all the hidden words, plus a special spangram — a word or phrase that sums up the theme and spans the entire grid from one side to the other.
Today’s NYT Strands Theme – February 18, 2026
Theme: “Cold Competition”
The NYT rates today’s puzzle as Easy. If you’ve been following the Winter Olympics, today’s theme should feel right at home.
NYT Strands Hints Today (February 18, 2026)
Hint 1 – Theme Clue
The words are all related to cold-weather sports.
Hint 2 – More Specific Hint
Think about activities you’d find at the Winter Olympics — sports played on ice or snow.
Hint 3 – Spangram Hints
- The spangram is vertical in today’s grid.
- It is made up of two words (6 letters + 6 letters = 12 letters total).
- The spangram starts with W and ends with S.
- It touches the first column, first row and last column, last row.
Non-Theme Hint Words for Today
Strands rewards you for finding words that aren’t part of the theme. Every three non-theme words you find earns you a hint that highlights the letters of a theme word. Here are some valid non-theme words you can use today:
- BROAD
- STOP
- SPOTS
- BRINE
- RING
- BIRD
NYT Strands Spangram Answer Today
⚠️ Spoiler Below
Today’s spangram is:
WINTER SPORTS
All NYT Strands Answers for February 18, 2026
⚠️ Full Spoilers Below – scroll only if you want all the answers.
Today’s puzzle has 5 regular theme words plus the spangram, for a total of 6 answers:
- LUGE
- BOBSLED
- SNOWBOARDING
- HOCKEY
- CURLING
- WINTER SPORTS (Spangram)
How to Play NYT Strands
If you’re new to Strands, here’s a quick rundown:
- Find all the theme words hidden in the 6×8 grid.
- Connect letters by dragging through adjacent tiles — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
- Words can change direction, making them trickier to spot than in a standard word search.
- Every letter must be used — you’re done when the entire board is filled.
- Find the spangram to reveal the theme and earn a yellow highlight.
- Earn hints by finding non-theme words. Every 3 non-theme words = 1 hint.
Is Strands Harder Than Wordle?
Strands is generally considered more challenging than Wordle because you’re solving 6–8 words instead of just one. That said, the built-in hint system gives Strands an advantage — you can always work toward a free hint by finding common English words in the grid. Wordle gives you no such lifeline.