The New York Times daily Strands puzzle for February 18, #717, challenges players to identify themed words hidden within a letter grid. Today’s theme revolves around winter sports, specifically those featured in Olympic competitions.
Understanding the Game
Strands requires finding words of four or more letters. As you uncover these, the game provides hints toward the overall theme. The ultimate goal is to locate all themed words, including the spangram —a longer word that spans the entire grid, using every letter exactly once.
Hints for Today’s Puzzle
If you’re stuck, consider words related to medal events in the Winter Olympics. The theme is “Cold Competition,” which should narrow down the possibilities.
Words to Unlock In-Game Hints
Finding any words with four or more letters will reveal clues. Here are some examples that worked:
- HOTE
- BUNT
- KEYS
- POTS
- SPOT
- SPOTS
Today’s Solution
The complete list of answers for Strands #717 is as follows:
- LUGE
- BOBSLED
- HOCKEY
- CURLING
- SNOWBOARDING
The spangram (the word that uses every letter in the grid) is:
- OLYMPICS
Strands challenges players to test their vocabulary and pattern recognition skills. Solving the puzzle requires strategic word-finding to unlock the theme and complete the grid.
