Strands · Hints and answers
Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Tuesday's Strands board has six theme words plus a 6-letter spangram, under the NYT clue "On key". The ladder below climbs from the theme to the spangram - take one hint at a time.
Hints, in order
Hint 0 of 3Tap to show one hint at a time.
Hint 1 of 3
The NYT clue is "On key" - take it literally before you take it sideways. The spangram runs 6 letters and touches opposite sides of the board.
Hint 2 of 3
The six theme words run 5 to 10 letters (lengths: 5, 5, 7, 7, 8, 10). Every one of them belongs to the family the clue points at.
Hint 3 of 3
The spangram starts with S and ends with L. It is SYMBOL - find it and the rest of the board falls into place.
Spangram and theme words
The spangram first, then all six theme words.
SPANGRAM
SYMBOL
ASTERISKTheme word
BRACKETTheme word
CARETTheme word
HASHTAGTheme word
TILDETheme word
UNDERSCORETheme word
Next on the board
NYT Mini Crossword →
A 5x5 grid. Show one answer at a time, or open the full grid.