Today's NYT Strands is live for Monday, February 9, 2026 (Puzzle #708). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Frequent flyer"
What It Really Means
This theme focuses on airport and air travel terminology - all the words you'd encounter when flying or working at an airport.
Think About...
- Airport infrastructure and facilities
- Travel documentation and procedures
- Airline personnel and equipment
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Horizontal (with vertical movement)
Letter Count: 8 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the fifth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think about where frequent flyers spend most of their time waiting.
Hint 2 (Warmer): These are the main hubs where planes take off and land, connecting cities worldwide.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is A, last letter is S
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AIRPORTS
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Essential airport infrastructure
Closer: Where planes accelerate for takeoff
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 6 letters total
Answer
RUNWAY
Word 2
Vague: Airport procedure everyone goes through
Closer: Screening process before boarding
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
SECURITY
Word 3
Vague: Travel document
Closer: Required for international flights
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 8 letters total
Answer
PASSPORT
Word 4
Vague: Airport surface area
Closer: Where planes park and get serviced
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 6 letters total
Answer
TARMAC
Word 5
Vague: What travelers check in
Closer: Bags and suitcases
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 7 letters total
Answer
LUGGAGE
Word 6
Vague: Airline professional
Closer: Person who flies the plane
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 5 letters total
Answer
PILOT
Full Answers
Spangram: AIRPORTS
Theme Words:
- RUNWAY
- SECURITY
- PASSPORT
- TARMAC
- LUGGAGE
- PILOT
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: TARMAC (Less common term that casual travelers might not immediately think of)
Our Take: A straightforward airport theme that hits all the major touchpoints of air travel. The spangram AIRPORTS perfectly captures the theme, while the word selection covers everything from infrastructure to personnel. TARMAC was the sneakiest inclusion - most people just call it "the runway area" or "apron."
