Today's NYT Strands is live for Wednesday, February 11, 2026 (Puzzle #710). 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: "Crack and snack"
What It Really Means
You're looking for nuts, specifically, edible nuts that require cracking open their shells before eating.
Think About...
- Common nuts found in grocery stores or trail mixes
- Nuts with hard shells that need cracking tools
- Popular snack nuts often sold shelled or unshelled
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Up and down zig zag from left to right
Letter Count: 6 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the fifth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase describes what you might do with nuts, both literally and figuratively.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's a two-word phrase that means to go crazy or indulge excessively, often used with food.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is G, last letter is S
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GONUTS
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A green nut often associated with ice cream
Closer: This nut has a distinctive green color and is commonly used in desserts
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 9 letters total
Answer
PISTACHIO
Word 2
Vague: A curved nut often used in Asian cuisine
Closer: This kidney-shaped nut is popular in stir-fries and vegan cheese alternatives
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total
Answer
CASHEW
Word 3
Vague: A versatile nut used in milk, flour, and butter
Closer: This nut is the base for many dairy-free alternatives and is often blanched
Letter Clue: Starts with A, 6 letters total
Answer
ALMOND
Word 4
Vague: A Southern favorite often used in pies
Closer: This nut is essential for pecan pie and is native to North America
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 5 letters total
Answer
PECAN
Word 5
Vague: A less common nut also known as a hazelnut
Closer: This nut has a different name in Europe and is often used in chocolate spreads
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 7 letters total
Answer
FILBERT
Word 6
Vague: A rich, buttery nut from Australia
Closer: This expensive nut is known for its high fat content and creamy texture
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 9 letters total
Answer
MACADAMIA
Full Answers
Spangram: GONUTS
Theme Words:
- PISTACHIO
- CASHEW
- ALMOND
- PECAN
- FILBERT
- MACADAMIA
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: FILBERT (Many solvers know this as hazelnut, making the less common name challenging)
Our Take: A straightforward nut-themed puzzle with clever wordplay in the spangram. The "crack and snack" theme perfectly describes the dual nature of these foods, both requiring physical cracking and serving as popular snacks. The inclusion of FILBERT adds a nice twist for those accustomed to the more common "hazelnut" terminology.
