NYT Strands Hints and Answers for February 20, 2026 (#719)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of February 20, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of February 20, 2026? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for February 20, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
True grit
Today’s theme is “True grit”. All 6 theme words fit that idea — and the spangram names it outright.
Hint 1A gentle clue
The 6 answers belong to one everyday scene. Picture the scene first, then look for its pieces on the board. The spangram runs across the grid, left edge to right, so look for a long sideways path first.
Hint 2First letters
The theme words begin with A, C, H, P, R, S.
Hint 3Word lengths
By length, the answers run 5, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 8. The shortest is 5 letters, the longest 8.
SpangramThe spangram
SANDPAPER
9 letters, a single word, running from one edge of the grid to the opposite edge.
Starts with S, ends with R.
AnswersAll theme words
- HARSH5 letters
- ROUGH5 letters
- COARSE6 letters
- PRICKLY7 letters
- ABRASIVE8 letters
- SCRATCHY8 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.