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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “It's in the cards”, February 13, 2025

Stuck on the February 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “It's in the cards” puzzle (Strands #44 of 509 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the February 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the February 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “It's in the cards”. Every theme word and the spangram connects back to this phrase, so think about what related words might fit a 6×8 grid of 48 letters before you start scanning.

Hint 2: Spangram length and first letterReveal

The spangram for the “It's in the cards” puzzle is 9 letters long and starts with the letter G. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the February 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 6 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the February 13, 2025 NYT Strands “It's in the cards” puzzle is GREETINGS. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 6 theme words for the February 13, 2025 NYT Strands “It's in the cards” puzzle:

  • BABY
  • BIRTHDAY
  • CONGRATS
  • LOVE
  • SYMPATHY
  • WEDDING

Plus the spangram GREETINGS, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.

Answers for the February 13, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "It's in the cards" NYT Strands puzzle

This puzzle's theme, "It's in the cards", contains a subtle twist. Strands puzzles with wordplay themes are designed to misdirect at first glance, then reward you with a satisfying "aha" when the spangram makes everything click. The science & technology words hidden in the grid all connect to the theme's actual meaning, not the obvious one. Think about alternative interpretations before you start scanning.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. With 9 letters, the spangram is mid-length — long enough to stand out in the grid but still requiring careful scanning to trace from edge to edge. Originally published on a Thursday, Puzzle #44 is from the early days of the Strands archive — one of the original puzzles that established the game's style.

#44
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
9
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "It's in the cards"

  • This theme contains wordplay — don't take it at face value. Think about alternative meanings and which interpretation the hidden words might support.
  • Start by scanning the grid edges for the spangram — it must connect two opposite sides. Once you find it, the theme becomes clear and the remaining words are easier to spot.
  • Once you find the spangram, re-read the theme title. It almost always makes much more sense in hindsight, which helps you brainstorm the remaining theme words.
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Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive of past Strands puzzles. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. NYT Strands is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Today's daily puzzle is free at nytimes.com/games/strands.