Today’s Strands Hints and Clues for “True grit”

Strands Answers and Hints (February 20, 2026): Looking for hints? Find today’s Strands answers and helpful tips here!

Strands offers a fresh challenge in the NYT’s lineup of daily games, inviting players to uncover hidden words within a 6×8 letter grid. Each day brings a unique theme and grid, making it a great test of vocabulary and pattern recognition, but it can get tough at times.

Stuck on the spangram or today’s theme? We’ve got all the hints and clues you need to solve today’s Strands puzzle with confidence.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead! Only read on if you want to know today’s Strands answers.

Today’s Strands Theme

To begin, let’s see what theme has been shared for today’s puzzle on the site.

Today’s theme is: TRUE GRIT

Is it very vague? I’ll explain the theme a bit more so you know what to look for:

• This theme encompasses textures and qualities that can create discomfort or irritation. Often associated with surfaces or materials that lack smoothness or gentleness, it evokes sensations that are abrasive or unrefined. The theme suggests a rugged nature, highlighting elements that can provoke a more intense tactile experience.

Today’s NYT Strands Hints

Still puzzled by today’s game? Here are some helpful hints to assist you:

Strands Hint 1: What are the starting letters of today’s words?

There are 7 words including the spangram.

Below are the starting letters & lengths for each of the theme words:

• Starts with “A” and has 8 letters.
• Starts with “C” and has 6 letters.
• Starts with “H” and has 5 letters.
• Starts with “P” and has 7 letters.
• Starts with “R” and has 5 letters.
• Starts with “S” and has 8 letters.

And today’s spangram starts with “S”.

Strands Hint 2: Where are today’s words located on today’s strands grid?

Here are some clues about their starting positions. For all words except the spangram:

• 1 word starts from the top row
• 1 word starts from the bottom row
• 1 word starts from the left edge of the grid
• 1 word starts from the right edge of the grid
• 2 words start from the middle of the grid

Today’s NYT Strands Clue Words

Still puzzled by today’s game? Here are some helpful hints to assist you:

• LIVRE
• SIRE
• RESAT
• CLYPEI
• SAIRER
• COVE

In the next section, you’ll see today’s Strands answers! Hold up if you’d like to keep puzzling.

Today’s NYT Strands Spangram

Now for the exciting part! Here’s today’s Strands spangram:

SANDPAPER

Today’s NYT Strands Answers

These are the rest of today’s Strands answers to help you complete the game:

• ABRASIVE
• COARSE
• HARSH
• PRICKLY
• ROUGH
• SCRATCHY

Yesterday’s NYT Strands Answer (19 February 2026)

Still attempting to crack yesterday’s Strands (Thursday, 19 February 2026)? Or checking in from a different timezone? No worries—we’ve got you covered with the answers!

Find yesterday’s Strands answers, hints and spangram here.

Yesterday’s Strands theme was:

HERE’S A THOUGHT

Yesterday’s Spangram was:

EUREKA

Yesterday’s Strands Answers were:

• CONCEPT
• HYPOTHESIS
• IDEA
• NOTION
• POSTULATE
• THEORY

This wraps up our coverage of today’s Strands answers, hints, and spangram. If you enjoy word games, we offer answers and solvers for many NYT games. Check out: