NYT Strands Hints and Answers for February 26, 2026 (#725)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of February 26, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of February 26, 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 26, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Watch the attitude!
Today’s theme is “Watch the attitude!”. All 7 theme words fit that idea — and the spangram names it outright.
Hint 1A gentle clue
The 7 answers belong to one everyday scene. Picture the scene first, then look for its pieces on the board. The spangram runs down the grid, top edge to bottom, so look for a long vertical path first.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are C, C, F, I, P, S, S. Several share a starting letter (C, S).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6 and 8 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 8.
SpangramThe spangram
TALKINGBACK
It is a single word of 11 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with T, ends with K.
AnswersAll theme words
- CUTE4 letters
- PERT4 letters
- FRESH5 letters
- SASSY5 letters
- SAUCY5 letters
- CHEEKY6 letters
- IMPUDENT8 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.