NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Thursday, October 17

Strands is the New York Times’ latest word puzzle that adds a twist to the traditional word search. It’s a bit more challenging than Wordle, Connections, or the Mini Crossword, so if you’re feeling stuck, no worries—help is at hand!

If you’re having trouble solving today’s puzzle, we’ve got some helpful hints and solutions below.

How to Play NYT Strands:

In each Strands puzzle, your goal is to find specific “theme words” hidden within a grid of letters. You can manipulate the letters by dragging or tapping to form words. When you find a correct word, it’ll be highlighted in blue, and those letters will no longer be selectable.

Even if you come across a word that isn’t part of the theme, it still benefits you! For every three non-theme words you find that are four letters or longer, you’ll earn a hint where the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed for you to unscramble.

A key challenge is that each letter in the grid is used only once, so there’s no overlap in the words you find. One of the unique features of the game is the “spangram”—a special word that spans from one side of the grid to the other and reveals the puzzle’s overall theme. It’s highlighted in yellow when found.

Hint for Today’s NYT Strands Puzzle:

Today’s theme is “Dream teams.”

Here’s a helpful hint: Think about creating your perfect fantasy team!

Today’s NYT Strands Puzzle Answers:

If you still need help, here are today’s answers:

• Spangram: FANTASYLEAGUE
• Theme words:
  • DRAFT
  • ROSTER
  • WAIVERS
  • MATCHUPS
  • STANDINGS

Try to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints, and see if you can spot all the theme words!