NYT Strands for today: clues, spangram, and solutions for Saturday, February 22.

      Strands is a new daily puzzle from the New York Times that offers a more challenging approach to the traditional word search, requiring sharp observation skills to complete. Similar to Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can sometimes pose a challenge. There’s no harm in seeking a bit of assistance when you’re stuck. If you’re having trouble with today’s Strands puzzle, refer to the solved puzzle below.

      How to play Strands

      Each Strands puzzle begins with the objective of identifying the "theme words" concealed within the letter grid. You can manipulate the letters by dragging or tapping to form words; double-tap the last letter to confirm. If you successfully find a word, its letters will turn blue and will no longer be available for selection.

      If you discover a non-theme word, it still benefits you! For every three non-theme words of four letters or more that you find, you’ll receive a hint — one of the theme word's letters will be revealed, and then you’ll need to unscramble it.

      All the letters in the grid are utilized to create the theme words, with no overlaps. Each letter will only be used once.

      Each puzzle features one "spangram," which is a special theme word (or words) that relates to the puzzle's theme and connects two opposing sides of the board. Discovering the spangram will highlight it in yellow.

      The aim is to solve the puzzle quickly while minimizing the use of hints.

      Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

      Today’s theme is “Here we (don’t) again.”

      Here’s a clue that might assist you: a traveler’s nightmare.

      Today’s Strands answers

      NYT

      Today’s spangram

      To get you started, here’s the spangram which could help you deduce the theme and solve the remaining parts of the puzzle independently:

      TRAFFICJAM

      Today’s Strands answers

      CONGESTION

      GRIDLOCK

      BLOCKAGE

      OVERCROWDING

      As Digital Trends' Gaming evergreen lead, Sam Hill is here to assist you in discovering your next favorite game and getting right into it...

      Hideo Kojima sparks new Death Stranding theories with recent tweets

      Renowned video game designer Hideo Kojima seems to have something in the works that might relate to the Death Stranding universe.

      Dune: Awakening set for May launch, character creator available now

      Funcom announced today that its MMO survival game Dune: Awakening will be released on Steam on May 20, but the Character Creator & Benchmark Mode are available now. You can download these tools and spend as much time as you'd like customizing your character to resemble Zendaya or Timothy Chalamet, so you can dive right into the game upon its release instead of spending hours in the character menu.

      The character you create can be imported into the game at launch. Funcom states that you can fine-tune every detail of your character, choose your home planet, caste, mentor, and more. The decisions you make will impact your character's initial abilities, but you’ll eventually be able to unlock every School (class) by the game’s conclusion, allowing you to select the abilities you prefer.

      Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 countdown: Start date, downtime information & more

      As the highly anticipated Chapter 6 Season 2 update approaches, Fortnite players are filled with excitement, as it promises to introduce a thrilling new chapter in Epic Games' ongoing battle royale saga. Titled Lawless, this season is already creating a buzz among players eager to explore a gritty, crime-infested island. Numerous leaks in recent weeks, along with the latest teasers, suggest a heist-themed experience featuring revamped gameplay, new skins, and an updated map, generating anticipation for what might be one of Fortnite's most eventful patches yet.

      Players are particularly enthusiastic about the return of iconic characters like Midas and a collaboration with Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero, in addition to new mechanics such as van heists and explosive weapons. The shift to this urban underworld will present a stark contrast to the current Japanese mythology-inspired Hunters season, raising the stakes and excitement. As the update time draws near, players are preparing for downtime to explore the new Fortnite season.