If today’s Strands puzzle has you tied in knots, relief is just moments away.
The New York Times’ latest word game hides a carefully themed puzzle inside a compact maze of letters.
You can connect letters in any direction (up, down, sideways, or diagonally), but each can be used only once.
The only guide is the puzzle’s cryptic title.
Find three non-themed words, and you’ll unlock a helpful hint. Piece them all together, and you’ll discover the “spangram”, a theme-defining word or phrase that stretches across the entire board.
Below, you’ll find helpful hints and solutions to unlock the entire puzzle.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: The year of the ...
This puzzle features various animals associated with an ancient East Asian astrological cycle.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today's spangram is ZODIAC.
NYT Strands word list for 17-February-2026
- Dragon
- Goat
- Horse
- Monkey
- Rabbit
- Snake
- Tiger
Keep your streak alive — visit our NYT Strands hub to find today’s theme, hints, and previous puzzle archives.
See Also
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