NYT Strands Hints & Answer — The year of the ..., February 17, 2026

Loading puzzle...

NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “The year of the ...”, February 17, 2026

Stuck on the February 17, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “The year of the ...” puzzle (Strands #408 of 467 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 17, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the February 17, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “The year of the ...”. 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 “The year of the ...” puzzle is 11 letters long and starts with the letter Z. 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 17, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle has 7 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 17, 2026 NYT Strands “The year of the ...” puzzle is ZODIACSIGNS. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 7 theme words for the February 17, 2026 NYT Strands “The year of the ...” puzzle:

  • DRAGON
  • GOAT
  • HORSE
  • MONKEY
  • RABBIT
  • SNAKE
  • TIGER

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

Answers for the February 17, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "The year of the ..." NYT Strands puzzle

"The year of the ..." — a theme that invites you to explore a specific concept through the lens of this Strands puzzle. The phrase describes a mood, setting, or idea, and every theme word hidden in the 6×8 grid belongs to that same world. This arts & culture puzzle uses its descriptive title to guide your intuition. Start by brainstorming words that come to mind when you read the theme, then look for them on the board.

At 7 theme words, this is one of the denser puzzles in the archive. The grid is packed, so words will be closer together. The 11-letter spangram is notably long, consuming a good chunk of the grid's 48 letters. Its size makes it easier to find if you focus on the grid's edges. Originally published on a Tuesday, Puzzle #408 is a more recent addition to the 467+ puzzle archive.

#408
Puzzle Number
7
Theme Words
11
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "The year of the ..."

  • The theme paints a picture. Brainstorm 5-10 words that come to mind when you read it, then scan the grid for those words or close variants.
  • With 7 theme words and a long spangram, nearly every letter in the grid belongs to a word. Start with the spangram — it uses many letters and opens up the board significantly.
  • If the theme seems abstract, look for concrete nouns first. Most Strands puzzles hide everyday words (objects, animals, foods, places) rather than abstract concepts.
PreviousAll NYT Strands answersNext

More puzzles from February 2026

28 Sat
Dressing up
27 Fri
It's a little much
26 Thu
Watch the attitude!
25 Wed
That's really out there!
24 Tue
Just for reference
23 Mon
Strike a chord
View all February puzzles

More NYT Strands puzzles

May 15
Animal drives
Jan 20
Curiouser and curiouser!
Apr 17
Shell company
Apr 16
This is not working
Apr 15
Gift of the month
Apr 14
It's a little unclear
Apr 13
While not in use
Apr 12
Get ready!
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.