NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, February 18 (game #717)

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
(Image credit: New York Times)
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, February 17 (game #716).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #717) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Cold competition

NYT Strands today (game #717) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • BROAD
  • STOP 
  • SPOTS
  • BRINE
  • RING
  • BIRD

NYT Strands today (game #717) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #717) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 6th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #717) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 717 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #717, are…

  • LUGE
  • BOBSLED
  • SNOWBOARDING
  • HOCKEY
  • CURLING
  • SPANGRAM: WINTERSPORTS

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

The first thing that I thought of when I read the theme “cold competition” was the Winter Olympics, but the easily spotted spangram was actually WINTERSPORTS.

I have an ice phobia, due to slipping on a patch of black ice and breaking my leg a while back, but despite occasionally wincing over the crashes in the speed skating events, I am really enjoying the Winter Games.

The skeleton, which doesn’t feature here, is my favorite event — the bravery of hurling yourself down a sheet of ice dumbfounds me as do the minuscule movements that are the differences between medalists.

In terms of gameplay this was a relatively easy run, although I did labor over several creative spellings of LUGE (why did I think it contained an H) before finally getting it right.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, February 17, game #716)

  • HORSE
  • SNAKE
  • TIGER
  • MONKEY
  • RABBIT
  • DRAGON
  • GOAT
  • SPANGRAM: ZODIACSIGNS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

TOPICS
Contributor

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.

With contributions from

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.