#711Thursday, February 12, 2026
Strands answers for February 12, 2026 — “Sink or swim” (#711)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 12, 2026 (puzzle #711) is HIGHSTAKES, a 10-letter answer to the theme "Sink or swim". The 5 theme words are CRITICAL, DECISIVE, IMPERATIVE, PIVOTAL and RISKY.
Where is each answer on the February 12 Strands board?
Here are all 5 theme words from the February 12, 2026 Strands puzzle, with the spangram last.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRITICAL | 8 | row 8, column 6 | row 3, column 6 | bottom to top |
| DECISIVE | 8 | row 2, column 6 | row 1, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| IMPERATIVE | 10 | row 2, column 1 | row 4, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| PIVOTAL | 7 | row 7, column 2 | row 8, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| RISKY | 5 | row 5, column 3 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| HIGHSTAKES | 10 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the February 12 Strands grid look like?
Every letter below appears in exactly one answer — the 6 words tile all 48 cells of the February 12, 2026 grid.
Spangram — 10 letters5 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads M-P-H-E-C-E, row 2 reads I-E-I-V-I-D, row 3 reads A-R-G-I-S-L, row 4 reads T-E-H-S-A-I, row 5 reads I-V-R-T-C-T, row 6 reads K-S-I-A-K-I, row 7 reads Y-P-O-A-E-R, and row 8 reads I-V-T-L-S-C.
How hard was the February 12 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #711 comes out above average, ahead of 63% of them.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the February 12 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #711 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the February 12 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 12, 2026?
The Strands clue for February 12, 2026 is “Sink or swim”, on puzzle #711. It is answered by the spangram HIGHSTAKES, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 12, 2026?
The 5 Strands theme words for February 12, 2026 are CRITICAL, DECISIVE, IMPERATIVE, PIVOTAL and RISKY, plus the spangram HIGHSTAKES.
What was the big word in the February 12, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 12, 2026 is HIGHSTAKES, 10 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 to row 8, column 5. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Sink or swim” mean?
The Strands theme “Sink or swim” for February 12, 2026 means HIGHSTAKES — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands February 12, 2026?
Strands puzzle #711 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the February 12, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #711 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 63% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on February 12, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Thursday, February 12, 2026 is #711, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in February 2026, part of the full Strands archive.