#719Friday, February 20, 2026
Strands answers for February 20, 2026 — “True grit” (#719)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 20, 2026 (puzzle #719) is SANDPAPER, a 9-letter answer to the theme "True grit". The 6 theme words are ABRASIVE, COARSE, HARSH, PRICKLY, ROUGH and SCRATCHY.
Where is each answer on the February 20 Strands board?
Here are all 6 theme words from the February 20, 2026 Strands puzzle, with the spangram last.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABRASIVE | 8 | row 4, column 6 | row 7, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| COARSE | 6 | row 8, column 3 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| HARSH | 5 | row 7, column 5 | row 7, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| PRICKLY | 7 | row 2, column 1 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| ROUGH | 5 | row 6, column 3 | row 5, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| SCRATCHY | 8 | row 1, column 5 | row 1, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| SANDPAPER | 9 | row 1, column 1 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the February 20 Strands grid look like?
Every letter below appears in exactly one answer — the 7 words tile all 48 cells of the February 20, 2026 grid.
Spangram — 9 letters6 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 S-A-H-Y-S-C, row 2 reads P-N-D-C-A-R, row 3 reads R-C-P-A-T-R, row 4 reads I-K-L-P-E-A, row 5 reads G-H-Y-I-S-B, row 6 reads U-O-R-V-A-R, row 7 reads E-A-O-E-H-H, and row 8 reads S-R-C-A-R-S.
How hard was the February 20 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #719 comes out above average, ahead of 79% 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 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #719 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the February 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 20, 2026?
The Strands clue for February 20, 2026 is “True grit”, on puzzle #719. It is answered by the spangram SANDPAPER, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 20, 2026?
The 6 Strands theme words for February 20, 2026 are ABRASIVE, COARSE, HARSH, PRICKLY, ROUGH and SCRATCHY, plus the spangram SANDPAPER.
What was the big word in the February 20, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 20, 2026 is SANDPAPER, 9 letters long, running from row 1, column 1 to row 3, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “True grit” mean?
The Strands theme “True grit” for February 20, 2026 means SANDPAPER — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands February 20, 2026?
Strands puzzle #719 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the February 20, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #719 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 79% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on February 20, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, February 20, 2026 is #719, 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.