NYT Strands for today: clues, spangram, and solutions for Wednesday, February 26.

      Strands is a new daily puzzle from the New York Times. It's a more challenging version of the traditional word search, requiring a sharp eye to solve it. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be tricky on certain days. There's no shame in needing assistance occasionally. If you're stuck and want to find the answers to today's Strands puzzle, take a look at the solved puzzle below.

      How to Play Strands

      You begin each Strands puzzle with the objective of locating the "theme words" concealed within the grid of letters. You can manipulate the letters by dragging or tapping to form words; double-tap the last letter to confirm. If you uncover the correct word, the letters will be highlighted in blue and become unselectable.

      If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still contributes! For every three non-theme words that you discover, each with a minimum length of four letters, you'll receive a hint – the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed, and you will need to unscramble it.

      Every letter in the grid is utilized to spell out the theme words, without any overlaps. Each letter will be used exactly once.

      Each puzzle features one "spangram," a significant theme word (or words) that represents the puzzle’s theme and connects two opposing sides of the board. When you identify the spangram, it will be highlighted in yellow.

      The objective is to finish the puzzle promptly without relying too much on hints.

      Hint for Today’s Strands Puzzle

      Today’s theme is “Fire represents your life.”

      Here’s a hint that may assist you: avoid getting voted off.

      Today’s Strands Answers

      NYT

      Today's Spangram

      To help you deduce the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle independently, here’s the spangram:

      SURVIVOR

      Today's Strands Answers

      IMMUNITY

      ALLIANCE

      MERGE

      REWARD

      JURY

      CHALLENGE

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

      You can currently get Death Stranding for free on PC. Here’s how

      Death Stranding is available for free on PC through the Epic Games Store. Players have until May 25 to claim their copy before another mystery game is offered for free. The Epic Games Store has a longstanding tradition of giving away games for free. Just last month, it provided copies of Dying Light: Enhanced Edition during Easter weekend. Death Stranding, which generally retails for $30 on the Epic Games Store, is a significant freebie, so be sure to claim a copy while you can.

      Today’s Wordle Answer Changed Due to Roe v. Wade

      There are occasions when Wordle players receive different answers based on the browser used for the game. Today is one of those instances, but for a considerably different reason. The New York Times modified today's Wordle answer due to its unintended connection with the Supreme Court's pending ruling on Roe v. Wade.

      The initial answer for Wordle 324 was intended to be "fetus." Wordle creator Josh Wardle scheduled that word to appear today more than a year ago, long before The New York Times acquired the game during its peak popularity in January. Everdeen Mason, editorial director for New York Times Games, stated that the answer was changed to a completely different word because of its ties to the leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court last week, which suggested overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling from 1973, causing widespread shock across the nation.

      Death Stranding Director’s Cut Finally Reaches PC on March 30

      Kojima Productions and 505 Games are set to release Death Stranding Director's Cut for PC on March 30, 2022. The game will be priced at $40 for new players, but those who already own Death Stranding on PC can upgrade for a small fee.

      Death Stranding Director's Cut is an enhanced edition of Hideo Kojima's most experimental game. It follows Norman Reedus' character, Sam Porter Bridges, as he gradually journeys across America to reconnect humanity. In Digital Trends' review from 2019, it was stated that "it won't change the minds of Kojima detractors who believe he should focus solely on filmmaking, but the game's thoughtful social elements demonstrate why he remains a crucial figure in the gaming industry."