NYT Strands today, Aug. 17 -- the spangram for puzzle #897 is BODYJOINTS, and the theme is "On a bender." There are seven theme words alongside it, which makes this one of the fullest boards of the month.

If you would rather solve it yourself, the Strands hints are below, and the answers follow further down.

NYT Strands Hints Today, August 17, 2026 (Puzzle #897)

The theme is a pun. A bender is a drinking spree, but that is not the sense the puzzle wants.

Every theme word is a part of the body, and every one of them does the same thing.

Two of the theme words begin with a silent K.

The spangram is two words run together, ten letters, and it is the plain anatomical name for what all seven answers are.

What Is Today's Strands Spangram...