Strands is a daily word search puzzle game from The New York Times. It is a relatively new game, launched in 2024, in which players seek a common theme among words in a 6×8 letter grid.
Whether it’s your first time playing or you’re a Strands veteran, today’s tips and strategies can help you find words faster. So, if you’ve found yourself stuck with today’s Strands, don’t worry; below you’ll find some helpful hints and even the answers for Strands Game #866 for Thursday, July 17, 2026
To play today’s Strands, head to the game’s website.
IMPORTANT: The following information includes spoilers for today’s edition of Strands. If you don’t want the answer given to you, stop scrolling.
How To Play Strands
Strands is a daily word search that challenges you to find words with a common theme. There’s also a Spanagram that reveals the deeper theme behind the words.
- Words that are three letters or fewer do not count.
- Words that reveal the correct theme appear in blue.
- The Spanagram turns yellow when found.
- Finding three words that don’t fit the theme will reveal a hint to help you find the proper words.
The goal is to string together as many words as possible. Every letter on the grid gets used! Daily puzzles keep players coming back for more, making it a fun brain exercise and a popular online trend.
Strands can only be played on the New York Times website or on the NYT Games app.
Strands Hints for Today, July 17, 2026
The Strands’ answers to the theme of Game #866 are all related to categories in a specific trivia game.
General Strands Hints For July 17
Without giving today’s Strands answers completely away, here are a few helpful hints for today to get you started:
- Hint 1: Basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, and tennis.
- Hint 2: The external world in its entirety.
- Hint 3: The study of lands and creatures on our Earth and their relationships.
Use these clues to narrow down your searches and increase your chances of solving Strands #866 for July 17, 2026.
Words to Help You Find Strand Hints for July 17, 2026
If you want help getting started without having today’s Strands answer given to you, there are a few starter words worth trying that will help you unlock some in-game hints. A few starter words that may help are:
- PART
- TERN
- TRIVIA
- STARE
- PORT
Today’s Strands Answer for Game #866 on July 17, 2026
If you’ve tried everything, including the hints above, and are still stuck, you can find the answers to today’s Strands below. Check out the answers for past puzzles here.
- GEOGRAPHY
- ENTERTAINMENT
- SPORTS
- NATURE
- SPANAGRAM: TRIVIALPURSUIT
If you solved today’s Strands without our answers, congratulations! If not, take note of the best tips above for tomorrow’s puzzle, and check back daily for more hints.
When Is The Next Strands Game After #866?
All New York Times games are updated daily at 12 am (midnight) in your time zone. Information about the next game is often available in the hours leading up to it, giving players a heads-up. The game on July 18 will be Strands Game #867.
What Is Strands?
Strands is a daily word search puzzle game created by The New York Times. Launched in 2024, Strands challenges players to discover a common theme among words in a 6×8 letter grid. The game’s original concept was developed by Juliette Seive, a research director on The New York Times Games team, with the aim of replicating Wordle’s success. Tracy Bennett has served as the puzzle editor for Strands, overseeing the creation and curation of daily puzzles since the publication’s launch.
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