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New York Times Strands Puzzle Reveals Chinese Zodiac Signs
Hints and clues for the February 17 edition of the popular word game
Published on Feb. 17, 2026
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The New York Times Strands puzzle for February 17 has a theme centered around the Chinese Zodiac. The puzzle's spangram reveals the answer is "ZODIAC SIGNS", and the other words that need to be uncovered include animals like the Monkey, Rabbit, and Dragon that are part of the Chinese Zodiac calendar.
Why it matters
The Strands puzzle is a popular new word game from the New York Times, and this edition's theme of the Chinese Zodiac is timely as it coincides with the start of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rabbit. Solving the Strands puzzle provides an entertaining brain teaser for readers while also teaching them about an important cultural tradition.
The details
The Strands puzzle requires players to uncover words that fit the daily theme by searching a grid. For the February 17 edition, the theme is "The year of the...", referring to the animals of the Chinese Zodiac calendar. Hints provided include that "Pig, Rat and Ox are too short to include" in the puzzle's words. The spangram, or word that spans two sides of the grid, is revealed to be "ZODIAC SIGNS". Other words that need to be found include "MONKEY", "RABBIT", and "DRAGON".
- The Strands puzzle is published daily by the New York Times.
- The February 17 edition coincides with the start of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rabbit.
The players
New York Times
The renowned American newspaper that publishes the daily Strands puzzle.
Chinese Zodiac
The traditional lunisolar calendar system used in many East Asian countries, which assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a 12-year cycle.
What they’re saying
“Today's spangram is: ZODIAC SIGNS”
— Erik Kain, Forbes contributor (Forbes.com)
What’s next
Readers can continue to follow the daily Strands puzzles published by the New York Times, which often feature timely themes and cultural references.
The takeaway
The Strands puzzle's Chinese Zodiac theme provides an entertaining way for readers to learn about an important cultural tradition while also exercising their word puzzle skills. The puzzle's popularity demonstrates the continued appeal of brain teasers and word games, even in the digital age.
