NYT Strands puzzle #362, published Friday, February 28, 2025, has the theme “Nautical Ink.” Start with the hints below if you want to solve it yourself; the full answer list, including the spangram, follows in a clearly marked spoiler section.
Hints for the February 28 Strands puzzle
- Theme clue: Think of an image or symbol a sailor might have on their skin.
- Spangram direction: It runs horizontally, from left to right.
- Answer initials, in the source’s order: SH, EA, AN, CO, ME, SW, and SA for the spangram.
These hints and the answer set are reported in Parade’s February 28 guide.
Spoilers: the spangram and answers
Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle without seeing the answers.
The spangram is SAILORTATTOO. The six theme words are SHIP, EAGLE, ANCHOR, COMPASS, MERMAID, and SWALLOW. Together, they fit the “Nautical Ink” theme: sailor-associated tattoo imagery. Parade’s answer list is independently corroborated by the date-specific result from Strands Hint.
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How Strands hints work
Strands asks players to find theme words that fill the board. The spangram describes the theme and touches two opposite sides; it may consist of two words. Finding three non-theme words earns a hint that reveals the letters of a theme word, according to the game instructions reproduced in Parade’s guide.
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