NYT Strands answers: quick hints and full solution for game 722, Feb 22

Stuck on today’s NYT Strands puzzle? Here are clear, spoiler‑marked clues and the full solution for game #721 — fast help if you want to finish the grid or check your answers. This edition ties directly to a recent global moment, so the theme should feel timely.

Quick hints for Strands #721

Theme: Olympics wrap‑up — why it matters: the puzzle riffs on events and symbols you see when the Games conclude.

• Use these small words to earn clue tokens: DEAL, MATH, MONEY, GRAINY, GOAL, CLAN, ROAD, FINE, MALE
• The spangram links two opposite edges of the board, begins with C and ends with Y.
• Spoiler warning: the full solution appears below.

Answer and spangram

Full spangram: CLOSINGCEREMONY

Confirmed answers for Strands #721:

• ANTHEM
• MEDAL
• ATHLETE
• FLAG
• PARADE
• FLAME

The central idea is the finale of the Games — the words cluster around elements you expect at the end: national anthems, the medal ceremony, athletes exiting in the parade, flags and the extinguished flame. The long spangram traces that final sequence across the board and gives the theme away once you spot a few corner answers.

How you might find these faster

Look for short, obvious fits in corners first — smaller words often anchor the grid. From there, scan for longer entries that would naturally connect the anchors; the spangram usually cuts a clear path across the board and hints at the theme.

In this puzzle the presence of words like ANTHEM and MEDAL makes the “closing” angle obvious; once you suspect a ceremony or finale, the rest falls into place quickly.

Yesterday’s answers — game #720

If you missed the previous puzzle, here are the results for reference.

• HOPS
• MALT
• WATER
• YEAST
• FLAVOR
• WHEAT
• SUGAR
• BARLEY

Spangram: HOMEBREW. That grid focused on the basic ingredients behind beer — once HOPS appeared, the theme quickly became clear and the remaining slots were straightforward to fill.

Daily Strands puzzles often reward spotting one or two anchor words early. If you want help with tomorrow’s game, checking for corner anchors and the likely spangram pattern usually saves time.