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Today’s NYT Strands puzzle #705 features a hilariously ironic theme: ‘Boo-o-o-o-ring.’
The hidden theme words focus on synonyms for lack of excitement, tediousness, and general dullness.
The spangram, WATCHINGPAINTDRY, is a massive multi-word phrase that winds across the board, perfectly illustrating the height of boredom.
If you’re looking for the NYT Strands today for February 7, prepare yourself for a puzzle that is intentionally unexciting. While Wordle and Connections might get your heart racing, today’s Strands #705 is leaning into the ‘humdrum’ side of life.
The challenge today isn't just about finding the words; it's about navigating a grid filled with letters that describe the most tiresome moments imaginable. Don't let the sleepy theme fool you, though, finding a spangram as long as today's requires some serious mental heavy lifting!
Today’s Theme: Boo-o-o-o-ring
Hint: Think about a total snoozefest. It’s that feeling you get when a movie has no plot, a lecture never ends, or you’re stuck waiting for something incredibly slow to happen.
Starting letters of theme words:
DR
MU
DU
HU
TI
Spangram Hint: This idiom describes an activity so incredibly uninteresting that it’s often used as the gold standard for boredom. It involves a wall and a bucket of Sherwin-Williams.
Here are all the theme words hidden in today’s puzzle:
DREARY
MUNDANE
DULL
HUMDRUM
TIRESOME
Spangram: WATCHINGPAINTDRY
Puzzle #705 was a fascinating test of spatial awareness. NYT Strands spangram WATCHINGPAINTDRY is so long, it takes up a big amount of ‘real estate’ on the board. It snakes through the center and touches both sides.
The difficulty today lies in the vocabulary overlap. Words like HUMDRUM and MUNDANE aren't always the first things we look for in a word search, and seeing them intertwined with a massive phrase like the spangram made the grid feel much more crowded than usual. Once you're locked in the ‘PAINT’ portion of the spangram, however, the rest of the ‘boring’ adjectives fell into place like clockwork.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Strands Hints and Answers for February 5, 2026
Hunt for the ‘Y’ and ‘ING’: When you see a theme about boredom, look for common suffixes like ‘-some’ or ‘-ing’ to help anchor longer words.
The Spangram is Key: In puzzles with long idioms, finding the spangram early clears out the ‘noise’ and makes the shorter words like DULL much easier to spot.
Don't ignore the corners: Words like DREARY often start or end in the corners of the grid to maximize space for the spangram.
NYT Strands for February 7, 2026, was a clever nod to the mundane. While the words themselves described TIRESOME things, the act of solving the puzzle was anything but! It was a satisfying Saturday challenge that proved even the most ‘boring’ topics can make for a great game. Come back tomorrow for more Strands hints, tips, and answers.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Strands Hints and Answers for February 4, 2026
