Listed here are the solutions for the NYT Strands puzzle #717 right this moment, launched on February 18th, 2026, and a few hints that will help you resolve them.
The New York Instances are recognized for the big selection of video games they publish for readers to finish on the each day. That they had additionally printed the viral phrase sport, Wordle, in 2022, so as to add to their assortment.
A brand new sport has been launched by the paper, referred to as Strands, which is presently in beta. On this sport, there’s a theme of phrases on a board and you should discover the theme associated phrases.
After getting discovered a theme associated phrase, it is going to keep stuffed in blue and to create these phrases, you will have to pull or sort the letters. All the letters on the board are used to make up phrases for the theme and the letters don’t overlap into different phrases.

There’s additionally a “spangram” which is a phrase on the board that describes the theme of the puzzle for the day. It can contact two reverse sides of the board and could also be two phrases.
After getting discovered the spangram phrase, it is going to keep highlighted in yellow.
An instance of a spangram is FRUIT, and the opposite themed phrases could be PEAR, BANANA and APPLE.

If you’re struggling to search out any phrases referring to the theme, you may attempt to discover different phrases on the board, which is not going to keep highlighted, however will allow you to to get hints. You’ll need to search out three non-theme phrases to get a touch.
Strands 717 Hints Today (February 18th, 2026)
Today’s theme or trace for the puzzle is, “COLD COMPETITION” and there are six theme phrases to be discovered.

Extra hints that will help you resolve the Strands puzzle launched right this moment is:
- Two phrases within the Spangram right this moment.
- There are six letters in each Spangram phrases right this moment.
Strands 717 Spangram Reply Today (February 18th, 2026)
With each puzzle, there’s a spangram, which helps describe the theme. The spangram for the puzzle launched on February 18th is:
WINTER SPORTS
The phrase begins within the high left nook and ends within the backside proper nook of the grid.
The precise location of the Spangram phrase may be seen beneath:

Strands 717 Answer Today (2/18/2026)
Listed here are the entire different themed phrases for the Stands 717 puzzle:
- LUGE
- HOCKEY
- BOBSLED
- SNOWBOARDING
- CURLING

Tell us within the feedback beneath which phrases you bought caught on.
