NYT Strands Answer Today #775 Friday, 17 April 2026

Looking for today’s NYT Strands answer? You’re in the right place. This is your complete guide to Strands #775 for Friday, 17 April 2026 — with spoiler-free hints first, followed by the full answer below a clear spoiler warning. Scroll carefully if you haven’t played yet.

NYT Strands Hints for 17 April 2026 (No Spoilers)

Not ready for the answer just yet? These five hints should nudge you in the right direction without giving the game away.

Hint 1 — Theme: The puzzle’s theme is “Shell company.”

Hint 2 — Category: Think creatures you’d find on a rocky shoreline or a seafood menu.

Hint 3 — Spangram length: The spangram is 7 letters long.

Hint 4 — First letter of the spangram: It begins with M.

Hint 5 — Extra clue: “By the sea” — these animals all have shells and live in or near the ocean.

⚠️ SPOILER BELOW — The answer to today’s NYT Strands follows. Stop scrolling if you haven’t played yet.

Still thinking? Take your time…

Last chance to look away…

NYT Strands Answer for 17 April 2026

Today’s theme is “Shell company” — and every answer is a type of mollusc with a shell.

The seven theme answers are:

• CLAM
• CONCH
• LIMPET
• MUSSEL
• OYSTER
• ABALONE
• SCALLOP

Today’s Strands spangram is: MOLLUSK

A mollusc (or mollusk in American English) is one of the largest animal phyla on Earth, encompassing over 85,000 known species. The word itself comes from the Latin molluscus, meaning “thin-shelled.” Among today’s answers, the abalone is particularly prized — its iridescent shell has been used in jewellery and decoration for thousands of years, and it’s considered a delicacy in coastal cuisines from California to South Africa. The limpet, meanwhile, is a master of grip: it can cling to a rock with a force equivalent to several tonnes per square metre.

How Did We Do Today?

Today’s Strands #775 sits firmly in the Hard category. The theme of sea creatures sounds approachable enough, but unscrambling LIMPET and ABALONE on the grid — especially without obvious starting letters — will have caught many players off guard. If you needed the hints, don’t sweat it. Share your result and see how friends fared. For yesterday’s puzzle, check out our NYT Strands answer for 16 April 2026. If you’re also playing Wordle today, our Wordle answer guide has you covered too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NYT Strands answer today, 17 April 2026?

The theme answers for NYT Strands #775 on 17 April 2026 are CLAM, CONCH, LIMPET, MUSSEL, OYSTER, ABALONE, and SCALLOP — all types of molluscs found near the sea. The spangram is MOLLUSK.

How hard is today’s NYT Strands puzzle, 17 April 2026?

Today’s puzzle is Hard. While the coastal theme is clear once you spot it, several answers — particularly LIMPET and ABALONE — are difficult to unscramble on the board without hints.