NYT Strands Hints, Answers & Help – February 17, 2026 (#716)

Looking for today’s NYT Strands answers? Puzzle #716 for February 17 was actually a lot of fun.

If you know the theme, this one moves fast. If not, it can feel confusing at first.

Let’s break it down.

Puzzle date: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Puzzle number: 716
Difficulty: 3/5

🧩 Theme Hint for Today

The theme is: “The year of the…”

Still not sure?

Here’s the big clue:

Think about animals in a 12-year cycle.

That should point you in the right direction.

If you’re stuck, find any words with four or more letters. Every three you find unlocks a theme word.

HOST
HOTS
ROTS
ROSE
ROSES
DRAG
MONK
RANG

Your board may be a little different. Just look for easy wins first.

Here are the theme words:

All of these are part of the Chinese zodiac.

Once you see one or two, the pattern becomes clear.

The spangram is:

ZODIACSIGNS

Start with the Z on the far-left side, about five letters down. Then follow it as it winds across and down the board.

After that, everything makes sense.

If you’ve heard of the Chinese zodiac before, this one probably felt smooth.

When you see “year of the,” think animals.
When you find one animal, look for the rest in the same group.

Strands often sticks closely to one clean theme.

How did you do today?
Did you find DRAGON first?

Hi! I’m Anish. I really love the NYT games.

I play them every single morning with my coffee. It feels great to find the last word in the Bee or beat the Mini Crossword.

I write these posts to help you win your daily games. I share my best tips so you can keep your streak going. Let’s get those gold squares!

About the Author

Anish is the founder of TechBoltX, sharing mobile gaming rewards, guides, and daily updates.