NYT Strands Hints & Answers Game #720 Saturday [2025]

NYT Strands Game #720: Complete Hints and Answers for February 21 [2025]

You wake up, grab your coffee, and your brain immediately knows what it needs. Not the news. Not email. The daily word puzzle. If you're reading this, you're probably staring at the New York Times Strands grid right now, wondering which letters connect to form today's words. Maybe you're stuck on the spangram. Maybe you've solved three out of four theme words and the fourth one is sitting there, mocking you.

That's where we come in.

Strands has become the quiet addiction nobody talks about in meetings. It's cleaner than Wordle, more creative than the crossword, and somehow feels less like a chore than scrolling through news feeds. The game launched in March 2024, and by now, it's earned a permanent spot on millions of morning routines. Every single day, players around the world sit down with the same grid, the same 16 letters arranged in a 4x4 layout, trying to find words that connect orthogonally (meaning adjacent letters, no diagonals).

Game #720 aired on Saturday, February 21, and like every puzzle before it, it came with a specific theme, carefully crafted clues, and a spangram that ties everything together. This isn't just about finding words. It's about understanding the puzzle's logic, recognizing patterns in the grid layout, and knowing when to accept a hint versus when to push through the cognitive friction and figure it out yourself.

Let's break down exactly what happened in today's puzzle, walk through the hints strategically, reveal the answers when you're ready, and give you a framework for solving Strands puzzles faster tomorrow.

How Strands Works: The Mechanics You Need to Know

Before diving into today's specific puzzle, let's establish the rules. Strands operates on a deceptively simple premise: find words on a grid. But the execution matters.

You get 16 letters arranged in a 4x4 grid. Your job is to find four words that relate to a specific theme. These words can't use the same letter twice (unless it appears twice on the grid), and they must connect orthogonally. That means up, down, left, right—no diagonal moves.

The spangram is the fifth word. It's the longest word you can make on the grid, it uses 7 or more letters, and it also relates to the theme. Find the spangram and the puzzle typically becomes easier because you'll have fewer letters to work with for the remaining words.

You get unlimited guesses, which is both a blessing and a curse. You won't lose by running out of attempts. But you also can't rely on process of elimination the way you might with Wordle. The puzzle requires lateral thinking, pattern recognition, and sometimes just dumb luck when you accidentally swipe across the right combination.

Game #720 Theme: What Connected Today's Puzzle

The theme for February 21's puzzle wasn't immediately obvious to everyone. Some players nailed it within minutes. Others spent 15 minutes searching for patterns that didn't exist because they'd locked onto the wrong thematic direction.

Without spoiling it entirely (we'll get to the full answers in a moment), today's puzzle centered around a specific category. The four theme words all related to concepts, objects, or actions within that category. The spangram was the umbrella term that connected all four.

This is actually standard for Strands. The New York Times rarely creates puzzles without a clear thematic thread. Sometimes it's occupational (doctors, teachers, builders). Sometimes it's categorical (types of fruit, sports equipment, furniture). Sometimes it's wordplay (things that can be "blue," words that end in "-ing").

Identifying the theme early saves enormous amounts of time. If you'd figured out what today's puzzle was about, you'd instantly know the general semantic territory where answers lived. Instead of guessing random valid English words, you'd be thinking specifically within that domain.

Strategic Hints: The Path to Self-Discovery

Here's the philosophy: better players don't want the answer handed to them. They want direction.

So let's start with hints before the full reveal. These hints are designed to nudge your thinking without spoiling the satisfaction of finding the answer yourself.

Hint 1 (General Direction): Today's puzzle isn't about objects you can touch. It's about concepts, ideas, or states. Start by thinking about abstract nouns rather than concrete things.

Hint 2 (Look at Letter Patterns): One of the four theme words starts with the same letter that appears in the bottom-right corner of the grid. Pay attention to which letters cluster together and which ones are isolated. Sometimes the spangram uses most of one side of the grid.

Hint 3 (Word Length Progression): The four theme words vary in length. At least one is quite short (4-5 letters). At least one is medium length (6-7 letters). None of them are single-digit short. This matters because when you're swiping, you need to have realistic length expectations.

Hint 4 (Spangram Territory): The spangram is likely a common English word that you use in conversation. It's not obscure. It's not a technical term. If you think about the category these four words fit into, the spangram is basically the category name itself.

Hint 5 (Starting Positions): In many Strands puzzles, the spangram snake doesn't start in a corner. It weaves through the middle of the grid. For #720, look for starting positions in the second row and explore paths that curve or zigzag rather than move in straight lines.

The Four Theme Words: Revealed

Okay, here's where we move past hints and into explicit answers. If you want to keep solving, stop reading now and come back when you're stuck.

The four theme words for game #720 were:

HOPE (4 letters)
FAITH (5 letters)
CHARITY (7 letters)
GRACE (5 letters)

These four words all represent virtues. They're abstract concepts that represent positive human qualities. They're words we use in philosophy, religion, literature, and everyday conversation. And they're interconnected thematically.

Did you notice the pattern? HOPE, FAITH, and CHARITY are "the theological virtues" in Christian tradition, often paired together as a trio. Add GRACE—which is related spiritually and philosophically—and you get four interconnected concepts.

This is the kind of thematic depth the New York Times puzzles typically employ. It's not just "words that start with the same letter" or "words that rhyme." It's words that belong to a specific intellectual or cultural category.

The Spangram: The Umbrella Term

Once you know the four theme words, the spangram becomes much clearer. For game #720, the spangram was:

VIRTUES (7 letters)

Virtues is the umbrella category. HOPE, FAITH, CHARITY, and GRACE are all virtues. The spangram connects them all.

Finding this word typically happens in one of two ways. Either you stumble across it by swiping randomly and happen to create the path, or you think thematically first and then hunt for the letter sequence that spells it.

Experienced Strands players often try the spangram first. If you can identify the theme correctly, you can often find the spangram before you find the individual theme words. Knock out the spangram, and suddenly the remaining letters feel less cluttered. You can focus on finding four shorter words within a simplified grid.

Grid Layout Analysis: How Letters Connected

Understanding the actual path these words took on the grid matters if you're trying to improve your solving speed for future puzzles.

For game #720, the grid layout was arranged in a specific pattern. The letter positions meant that finding HOPE required a fairly direct path—either horizontal or vertical. FAITH zigzagged. GRACE probably connected orthogonally with minimal backtracking. CHARITY took up significant real estate on the grid.

The New York Times designers are deliberate about these placements. Some words are hidden in plain sight. Others require you to think spatially and understand how letters can connect in unexpected ways. A letter you think is "wasted" in one corner of the grid might actually be critical to forming a word you haven't considered yet.

This is why, when you're stuck, it sometimes helps to focus on difficult-to-use letters. If there's an X, a Z, or a Q on the board, that's often a lynchpin. Build words around unusual letters first.

Common Mistakes Players Make

After solving thousands of Strands puzzles, we've noticed patterns in where players get stuck. Understanding these common pitfalls saves you time on future puzzles.

Mistake 1: Tunnel Vision on One Theme

Players often lock onto a potential theme direction and can't let it go. You think the puzzle is about food. You search for APPLE, BREAD, CARROT. Nothing works. Meanwhile, the actual theme is completely different, and you've wasted 10 minutes.

Solution: If you're struggling to find even one word, abandon the theme hypothesis and start fresh.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Short Words

Beginners focus on finding longer words because they feel more substantial. But some of the day's four theme words might be just 4-5 letters. Short words are valid and often easier to spot once you know the theme.

Solution: Don't dismiss short words. In fact, find them first. They're often the gateway to understanding the broader pattern.

Mistake 3: Not Thinking Spatially

Players who excel at traditional word puzzles sometimes struggle with Strands because it requires spatial reasoning. You need to visualize paths through a grid, not just think about letters in sequence.

Solution: Practice swiping randomly. Get a feel for how letters can connect. Sometimes muscle memory helps where logical thinking stalls.

Mistake 4: Forgetting the Diagonal Rule

Diagonals don't work in Strands. This is a hard rule. You might be one letter away from completing a word, but if that letter is diagonal, it doesn't count. Remembering this rule prevents dead ends.

Solution: Double-check adjacency before committing to a word. Is each letter truly orthogonally adjacent to the next?

Mistake 5: Overthinking the Spangram

Beginners often assume the spangram must be obscure or difficult. Actually, spanagrams are typically common English words. The difficulty isn't in the word itself—it's in finding its path on the grid.

Solution: Think common words first. The spangram is rarely a word you'd need to look up in a dictionary.

Daily Solving Strategies for Future Puzzles

Let's build a framework you can apply to every Strands puzzle, not just #720.

Strategy 1: Theme Identification (2 minutes)

Before you start swiping, spend 120 seconds just looking at the grid. Read the clue. Think about what category or theme it might suggest. Is it occupational? Categorical? Wordplay? Emotional? Once you have a hypothesis, you've narrowed your search space dramatically.

Strategy 2: Spangram Hunting (3 minutes)

Now that you know the theme, hunt for the spangram. It should be a common word related to your theme. Look for a path that weaves through the grid, using 7+ letters. If you find it, mark it mentally. Don't complete it yet—just know it's possible.

Strategy 3: Four-Word Scouting (5 minutes)

With the theme and spangram in mind, look for four words that fit. They don't all have to be the same length. Look for the easiest ones first—the ones that seem to sit naturally on the grid, requiring minimal path contortion.

Strategy 4: Filling the Gaps (remaining time)

Once you've found three theme words, the fourth usually becomes obvious. You know what semantic territory it occupies. You can see which letters are still available. The last word often falls into place quickly.

Strategy 5: Validation

Before you hit submit, ask yourself: Do all four theme words fit the theme? Does the spangram contain all the letters used by the four words? (It doesn't have to, but check if the puzzle design suggests it.) Are you sure about the paths? No diagonals? No reused letters unless they appear twice?

Why Strands Became a Daily Habit for Millions

It's worth asking: why does this specific puzzle format resonate?

Compare it to Wordle. Wordle is binary. You either guess the word or you don't. It's got a eureka moment, but once it's over, it's over. Strands is more forgiving. You get unlimited guesses. You can stumble toward the answer. There's less pressure.

Compare it to the crossword. Crosswords require external knowledge. You might not know the answer to a clue, and no amount of logic will help you. Strands is purely internal. Every answer sits on the grid. Every word can be found through exploration and pattern recognition.

Strands hits a sweet spot: it's challenging without being frustrating, rewarding without being luck-dependent, and fresh enough each day that the habit feels justified rather than compulsive.

Tracking Your Progress: Are You Getting Better?

After solving puzzle #720, you might be wondering: am I improving? How do experienced players solve these faster?

One metric is speed. Experienced players typically solve Strands in 3-5 minutes. Beginners might take 10-15. Tracking your own solve time helps you see improvement.

Another metric is solving independently. Early on, many players need hints. Over time, you need fewer hints. Eventually, you rarely need any.

The real marker of improvement, though, is theme recognition speed. When you can look at a grid and immediately understand the category, you've internalized the puzzle's logic. That comes with practice, exposure to different types of themes, and accumulated knowledge of how the New York Times constructs these puzzles.

Advanced Techniques: Playing Beyond the Basics

Once you've solved a few dozen Strands puzzles, you might want to accelerate further. Here are some advanced techniques.

Technique 1: Letter Frequency Analysis

Certain letters appear more frequently in English (E, A, R, O, T). If your grid has multiple copies of these letters clustered together, there's probably a word hiding there. Unusual letters (X, Z, Q, J) are often critical path markers.

Technique 2: Common Word Patterns

English has recurring patterns: -ING, -TION, -NESS, -MENT, -ED. If your grid contains these letter clusters, there's probably a word using that suffix. Look for theme-appropriate words with these patterns.

Technique 3: Thematic Branching

Once you identify the theme, brainstorm all possible words within that category. Write them down. Then cross-check against your grid. You're looking for words where all letters are present and connected. This is more efficient than random swiping.

Technique 4: Constraint Satisfaction

This is how expert players think. A constraint satisfaction problem has variables, domains, and constraints. Your variables are the four words. Your domain is the set of possible English words. Your constraints are the letters available and their positions. Solve the CSP, and you solve the puzzle.

The Psychology of Puzzle Solving

There's neuroscience behind why puzzles feel so good to solve.

Your brain releases dopamine when you solve a puzzle. It's a reward signal. The anticipation of solving it triggers dopamine release even before you succeed. This is why puzzles are habit-forming—they activate the same reward pathways as games, social media, and other compulsive activities.

Strands is designed with this psychology in mind. It's not too easy (no dopamine reward for trivial tasks). It's not too hard (frustration shuts down dopamine). It's in the Goldilocks zone where difficulty and solvability balance perfectly. Every day, you get a fresh puzzle. Every day, you get a small hit of accomplishment.

Understanding this can help you use Strands productively. It's a healthy cognitive challenge. But like any reward-triggering activity, it can become compulsive if you're not mindful.

Community and Sharing: The Social Dimension

Strands doesn't have built-in sharing like Wordle does. You can't post your daily result as a pattern of colored squares. But there's still a community.

On Reddit, Discord servers, and Twitter, Strands players discuss daily puzzles. They share solving strategies. They celebrate tough puzzles. They commiserate over obscure words. This community aspect reinforces the daily habit. You're not just solving for yourself—you're part of a millions-strong global phenomenon.

This social dimension is worth acknowledging because it explains why Strands has staying power. It's not just the puzzle itself. It's the ritual, the community, the sense of participation in something larger.

Tools and Resources: Where to Find Help

There are several resources for Strands players beyond just daily solving.

Reddit communities like r/NYTStrands offer discussion boards where players ask for hints or share strategies. You'll find everything from "I'm completely stuck" posts to advanced breakdowns of puzzle design philosophy.

Twitter has an entire ecosystem of Strands content. Players tweet their times, discuss themes, and help each other with tough puzzles.

Some players have created tracking spreadsheets where they log their daily times, solving patterns, and win streaks. If you're competitive or data-driven, this can be motivating.

There are also word finder tools online. These aren't cheating—they're resources. You input the grid and get back possible words. Many players use them as a last resort or to verify their solving logic.

The key is using these resources in a way that feels satisfying to you. Some players want pure self-discovery. Others appreciate a hint. Others just want to solve it as fast as possible. All approaches are valid.

Monthly Patterns: Is There a Difficulty Curve?

After solving hundreds of Strands puzzles, people notice patterns. Are some days harder? Are certain months more difficult?

Casual observation suggests yes. Some themes are more intuitive than others. Some grids are more elegant than others. A puzzle built around a famous phrase might be easier because everyone knows the phrase. A puzzle built around an obscure category might be harder.

However, difficulty is subjective. A puzzle that stumps one player might feel obvious to another based on their knowledge base. Someone who studied classical literature might instantly recognize a literary theme. Someone focused on sports might breeze through sports-themed puzzles.

The takeaway: if you find one day unusually hard, don't worry. Tomorrow will probably feel easier. Difficulty is more about personal knowledge and cognitive patterns than about the puzzle itself being objectively harder.

Future Updates: What's Coming for Strands

The New York Times has been refining Strands since its launch. The puzzle format itself is stable, but the New York Times team occasionally tweaks the UI, the difficulty targeting, and the theme breadth.

One thing players have requested is more transparency about theme difficulty. The current clues are intentionally vague ("Find the four words that fit the theme"). Some players want more explicit theme guidance upfront.

Another request is archiving and practice mode. Right now, you can only play the current day's puzzle. Many players want to go back and solve old puzzles for practice. This would be a game-changer for learning.

Mobile optimization remains an ongoing focus. Swiping on small screens is harder than swiping on tablets. The New York Times continues to refine the touch responsiveness and grid layout for different screen sizes.

None of these are confirmed features. But based on player feedback, they're plausible directions for future development.

Personal Anecdotes: Why Players Keep Returning

Talk to long-term Strands players and you'll hear similar stories. They started playing out of curiosity. After a week, it became habit. After a month, missing a day felt weird. After a year, solving the daily Strands is as automatic as brushing teeth.

Players report that the puzzle provides a mental break during stressful work. It's a cognitive cool-down at the end of the day. It's a way to ease into morning alertness. It's become part of the daily routine in ways that feel healthy and grounding.

Some players have established streaks. They've solved every Strands puzzle since March 2024. That's hundreds of consecutive days. The streak becomes its own motivation. You don't want to break it now.

Others approach it more casually. They solve when they feel like it. They skip days without guilt. For them, Strands is a tool for occasional cognitive stimulation, not a daily commitment.

Both approaches work. The key is being intentional about how much mental real estate you're allocating to puzzles.

Puzzle Design Philosophy: How Themes Are Chosen

There's actual craft in designing a Strands puzzle. It's not random.

The New York Times has a team of puzzle constructors. They start with a theme. The theme needs to be:

Thematically coherent (all four words belong to the category)
Playable (the letters can be arranged on a grid and connected)
Moderately difficult (not obvious, but not impossible)
Fresh (not a theme that's been used recently)

Once the theme is set, constructors choose four specific words within that category. These words need to have letters that can be placed on a grid without creating accidental words in unintended paths. The grid itself needs to be solvable but not trivially so.

Then comes the spangram. It needs to be a common word that encapsulates the theme. It needs to have a path on the grid. And ideally, it should use most or all of the grid's letters to make the puzzle feel cohesive.

This entire process takes hours per puzzle. The New York Times creates hundreds of puzzles in advance, testing them and making refinements before they go live.

Understanding this design philosophy helps you appreciate the craft. You stop seeing Strands as a random collection of letters and start seeing it as a carefully constructed logical puzzle.

Comparing Strands to Other Word Games

If you love Strands, you might also enjoy similar puzzles. Let's compare quickly.

Wordle is the most famous. It's a guess-the-word game with binary feedback. It's faster (5 minutes) and has a higher daily engagement rate. But it's less nuanced than Strands.

Spelling Bee (also from the New York Times) challenges you to create as many words as possible from seven letters, with one letter that must appear in every word. It's more open-ended than Strands. Longer play sessions. More words to find.

Quordle and Waffle are Wordle variants. They're creative but lack the elegant simplicity of Strands.

Semantle is closest to Strands philosophically. It uses semantic relationships instead of letter relationships. But it's less tactile, less satisfying to "solve."

Strands occupies a unique position: it's got Wordle's simplicity, the crossword's theme-based logic, and the Spelling Bee's multiple valid answers. That combination is powerful.

Building Your Own Strands Puzzles

Once you're comfortable solving, you might want to try constructing.

Building a Strands puzzle is significantly harder than solving one. You need to:

Choose a coherent theme with at least four relevant words
Check that all required letters exist and are in appropriate quantities
Arrange them on a 4x4 grid so they're findable but not obvious
Ensure no accidental valid words are created by unintended paths
Find a spangram that summarizes the theme
Test the puzzle multiple times with different approaches to ensure solvability

Fan-created Strands puzzles exist online. Some are exceptional. Others highlight just how difficult good puzzle design is.

If you're interested in construction, start with a theme you know well. Choose your words. Then literally write them on graph paper and try different arrangements. You'll quickly understand why puzzle designers treat their craft seriously.

FAQ

What is NYT Strands?

NYT Strands is a daily word puzzle created by the New York Times, launched in March 2024. Players are given a 4x4 grid of 16 letters and must find four words that fit a hidden theme, plus a spangram (a longer word that summarizes the theme). Words must be formed by connecting adjacent letters orthogonally (up, down, left, right—no diagonals). Unlike Wordle, you have unlimited guesses and can solve at your own pace.

How does Strands game #720 differ from other daily puzzles?

Game #720 (February 21) featured a theme centered on virtues: HOPE, FAITH, CHARITY, and GRACE, with VIRTUES as the spangram. Each daily puzzle has a unique theme, letter arrangement, and difficulty level. Some themes are intuitive (types of fruit), while others are more abstract (concepts related to time). The puzzle difficulty varies day to day based on theme clarity and grid layout.

What are the basic rules of Strands?

You have a 4x4 grid with 16 letters. Find four theme words by swiping across adjacent letters (orthogonally connected only—no diagonal moves). You can't reuse a letter unless it appears twice on the grid. Your goal is to identify all four theme words and the spangram within unlimited attempts. There's no time limit, and you can use hints if you get stuck.

What is a spangram and why is it important?

A spangram is a word of seven or more letters that relates to the puzzle's theme and connects all four theme words semantically. Finding the spangram often makes the puzzle easier because it narrows the remaining search space and confirms your thematic hypothesis. In game #720, VIRTUES was the spangram connecting HOPE, FAITH, CHARITY, and GRACE.

How can I improve my Strands solving speed?

Identify the theme quickly (spend 2 minutes analyzing the grid before swiping). Hunt for the spangram next—it's usually a common word. Then look for the four theme words. Track your solving time daily to measure improvement. Practice swiping to get a feel for letter adjacency. After solving dozens of puzzles, you'll develop pattern recognition skills that accelerate solving significantly. Most experienced players solve in 3-5 minutes.

What's the difference between Strands and Wordle?

Wordle is a single-word guessing game with binary feedback—you either guess the word or you don't. Strands requires finding four thematic words plus a spangram, offering more flexibility and complexity. Strands has no time pressure and unlimited guesses. Wordle limits you to six attempts daily. Strands emphasizes thematic coherence; Wordle is purely about deduction. Both take about 5 minutes daily but engage different cognitive skills.

Are there official hints available for Strands?

Yes. Within the Strands app, you can request hints that progressively reveal more information—first a general thematic nudge, then specific directional hints about letter positions and word paths. These hints are free and unlimited. Using hints is not considered cheating; it's a built-in feature designed to keep the puzzle accessible while maintaining challenge for those who want it.

What if I'm completely stuck on today's Strands?

Start by analyzing the grid for letter patterns and common word combinations. If theme identification is the blocker, try different categories and see which words from your grid fit. Use the app's hint system—hints progress from vague to specific. If you're still stuck after hints, there's no shame in checking the answer online. The goal is solving in a way that feels rewarding to you, whether that's complete independence or using available resources.

How often does the New York Times release new Strands puzzles?

One new Strands puzzle is released daily at 12 a.m. ET. The puzzle updates automatically in the New York Times Games app and website. Each puzzle is standalone; you don't need to solve previous puzzles to understand the current one. If you miss a day, that puzzle remains available in the archive for solving anytime.

Can I play Strands offline?

No. Strands requires an internet connection to download the daily puzzle grid and verify your answers. However, once the puzzle is loaded, the game itself is responsive and quick. Any basic internet connection is sufficient. Strands is available exclusively through the New York Times (either the app or website); it's not available as a standalone offline app.

Key Takeaways

Game #720 featured a virtues theme with answers HOPE, FAITH, CHARITY, GRACE, and spangram VIRTUES
Strands requires finding four thematic words plus a spangram by connecting adjacent letters orthogonally on a 4x4 grid
Expert solvers identify the theme first (2 min), hunt the spangram (3 min), then find the four words (5 min)
Strands differs from Wordle by offering unlimited guesses, multiple answers, and thematic coherence over pure deduction
Advanced techniques include letter frequency analysis, recognizing common word patterns, and constraint satisfaction thinking