If you’re on the hunt for the most up-to-date solution to the New York Times’ Strands puzzle, you’ve come to the right place. Each day, we provide an in-depth collection of Strands hints designed to help you overcome any tricky twists in the grid. Alongside these, you’ll also find our comprehensive daily updates containing clues and answers not only for Strands but also for The New York Times’ Mini Crossword, Wordle, and both the standard and Sports Edition versions of Connections. With this resource, you can enhance your puzzle-solving experience and stay ahead in your daily streak across all your favorite NYT word challenges.
Today’s edition of the NYT Strands puzzle happens to be particularly approachable—especially for anyone who has been following one of this month’s major global sporting events. If you count yourself a fan of this ongoing spectacle, you might find the theme refreshingly accessible, though certain individual words can still pose significant challenges when it comes to unscrambling them correctly. Whether you are an experienced solver or a newcomer just exploring these puzzles, rest assured that if you encounter difficulty, detailed hints and full solutions are provided below to guide you through the experience.
For readers who may be unfamiliar with the logic, objectives, or overall format of Strands, I’ve written a separate and extensive overview that delves into the rules in greater detail. That explanatory guide clarifies how Strands is structured, how thematic connections are woven through each game, and how to make the most of its clue system. If, on the other hand, you’re seeking assistance with today’s editions of Wordle, Connections, or the Mini Crossword, you can conveniently visit CNET’s dedicated NYT puzzle hints page, where everything is curated in one easily accessible location.
As additional background reading, puzzle enthusiasts might enjoy exploring our feature article titled “NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far.” It reflects on the evolution of the popular Connections series and offers insight into what makes some puzzles especially demanding.
Now, focusing back on today’s Strands challenge: the published theme carries the title “Olympics Wrap-Up.” That provides the central concept around which all of today’s words revolve. If identifying the theme doesn’t immediately reveal the answers, here’s an extra clue to steer your thinking in the right direction: “Arrivederci, Milano Cortina!”—a playful farewell referencing the host locales of an iconic international winter sporting competition.
In Strands, your primary objective is to uncover all the hidden words that fit the theme of the day. If you find yourself stalled, the best method is to start locating any legitimate words you can identify in the grid. Each time you discover three valid words composed of at least four letters, the system automatically reveals one of the theme-connected words to you, thereby advancing your progress toward completion. To provide a helpful example, here are some of the words I personally used to trigger those bonus hints: DEAL, FLAP, HALT, THEM, GLAM, FADE, FLAM, THEN, THAT, CLAP, DEAR, CLOSE, and CLOSED. However, feel free to experiment—any other combinations of four-letter-or-longer words that you encounter will perform the same function.
When it comes to the actual answers linked to today’s overarching theme, your goal is to locate each and every one. Completing the set ensures that the entire board is filled without unused letters. This includes discovering the special “spangram”—a theme word that spans the grid completely from one side to the other. While I initially presumed every puzzle featured exactly eight theme words, I later discovered that the total can vary from day to day depending on design complexity. For today’s puzzle, the non-spangram theme answers are FLAG, FLAME, MEDAL, ANTHEM, PARADE, and ATHLETE. Once all of these are uncovered along with the key spanning word, the puzzle reaches full resolution.
As for the day’s culminating highlight—the Strands spangram—it is CLOSINGCEREMONY. This particular word elegantly encapsulates the essence of today’s Olympic-based theme. To locate it within the grid, begin with the letter C positioned two spaces to the right on the topmost row, and then trace a continuous path that curves and winds artfully around the board in an arrangement reminiscent of a torch’s burning shape. Completing this path not only finalizes the puzzle but also mirrors the poetic closure of the games themselves. The finished NYT Strands puzzle for February 22, 2026, concludes with all letters elegantly interlinked, as visible in the accompanying NYT screenshot provided by CNET.
Sourse: https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/todays-nyt-strands-hints-answers-and-help-for-feb-22-721/
