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 #716 for Tuesday, February 17, 2026
To play today’s Strands, head to the game’s website.
IMPORTANT: The following information includes spoilers on 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 and under 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. You can also play on the NYT Games app.
Strands Hints For Today, February 17, 2026
The Strands’ answers for Game #716 are easy to find once you realize the theme. I did not need any in-game hints today. Just think about the Chinese Zodiac signs. Still, if you need some hints, just keep reading.
General Strands Hints For February 17
Without giving today’s Strands answers completely away, here are a few helpful hints for today to get you started:
- Hint 1: All answers relate to Chinese zodiac signs.
- Hint 2: Rocky Balboa had the eye of this ferocious animal.
- Hint 3: For the professional wrestling fans out there, thinking about Ricky Steamboat and Bryan Danielson will give you at least one answer. Thinking about Randy Orton and Steve Austin might give you another.
Use these clues to narrow down your guesses and increase your chances of solving Strands #716 for February 17, 2026.
Words to Help You Find Strand Hints for February 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:
- ROSE
- HORN
- SIGN
- SIGNS
- HOSE
Today’s Strands Answer For Game #716 On February 17, 2026
If you’ve tried everything, including using the above hints, and are still stuck, you can find the answers to today’s Strands below. Check out yesterday’s answers here.
- RABBIT
- MONKEY
- SNAKE
- DRAGON
- TIGER
- HORSE
- SPANAGRAM: ZODIACSIGNS
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 #716?
All New York Times games are updated daily at 12 am or Midnight in your respective time zone. Information about the next game is often available in the hours before, giving players a heads-up. The game on February 18 will be Strands Game #717.
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 serves as the puzzle editor for Strands, overseeing the creation and curation of daily puzzles since its launch.
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