Today's NYT Strands is live for Wednesday, February 25, 2026 (Puzzle #724). 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: "That's really out there!"
What It Really Means
You're looking for spacecraft and space exploration vehicles, machines designed to operate beyond Earth's atmosphere.
Think About...
- NASA missions and their vehicles
- Space exploration hardware
- Robotic and crewed spacecraft types
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Zig zag from left to right
Letter Count: 9 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the sixth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think about vehicles designed for space travel
Hint 2 (Warmer): This is a general term for any vehicle that operates in space
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is S, last letter is T
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SPACECRAFT
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A scientific instrument sent to gather data
Closer: Often used for deep space exploration missions
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 5 letters total
Answer
PROBE
Word 2
Vague: A mobile exploration vehicle
Closer: Designed to traverse planetary surfaces
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 5 letters total
Answer
ROVER
Word 3
Vague: An object that orbits a planet
Closer: Used for communications, weather monitoring, or GPS
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 9 letters total
Answer
SATELLITE
Word 4
Vague: Designed to touch down on a surface
Closer: A spacecraft that makes contact with a planet or moon
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 6 letters total
Answer
LANDER
Word 5
Vague: A self-contained section of a larger spacecraft
Closer: Often refers to habitation or equipment compartments
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 6 letters total
Answer
MODULE
Word 6
Vague: Designed to circle a celestial body
Closer: A spacecraft that remains in orbit around a planet or moon
Letter Clue: Starts with O, 7 letters total
Answer
ORBITER
Full Answers
Spangram: SPACECRAFT
Theme Words:
- PROBE
- ROVER
- SATELLITE
- LANDER
- MODULE
- ORBITER
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: MODULE (Could be confused with general engineering terms rather than specifically space-related)
Our Take: A clean space exploration theme with logical connections between all terms. The spangram SPACECRAFT ties everything together neatly. Each word represents a distinct type of spacecraft, making for a cohesive puzzle that's challenging but fair for space enthusiasts.
