#723Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Strands answers for February 24, 2026 — “Just for reference” (#723)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 24, 2026 (puzzle #723) is LOOKITUP, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Just for reference". The 4 theme words are DICTIONARY, DIRECTORY, ENCYCLOPEDIA and THESAURUS.
Where is each answer on the February 24 Strands board?
Strands #723 resolves to these 4 theme words plus the spangram LOOKITUP.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DICTIONARY | 10 | row 6, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| DIRECTORY | 9 | row 7, column 1 | row 4, column 1 | bottom to top |
| ENCYCLOPEDIA | 12 | row 2, column 1 | row 3, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| THESAURUS | 9 | row 2, column 6 | row 6, column 5 | top to bottom |
| LOOKITUP | 8 | row 8, column 1 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the February 24 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #723 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 8 letters4 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 C-L-O-E-D-P, row 2 reads E-Y-P-I-U-T, row 3 reads N-C-A-T-E-H, row 4 reads Y-C-E-I-S-A, row 5 reads R-T-R-K-R-U, row 6 reads O-I-O-D-S-U, row 7 reads D-O-I-I-O-R, and row 8 reads L-C-T-N-A-Y.
How hard was the February 24 Strands puzzle?
The difficulty index rates puzzle #723 as hard: it sits at the 99th percentile of every Strands grid to date.
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 24 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #723 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 24 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 24, 2026?
The Strands clue for February 24, 2026 is “Just for reference”, on puzzle #723. It is answered by the spangram LOOKITUP, and all 4 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 24, 2026?
The 4 Strands theme words for February 24, 2026 are DICTIONARY, DIRECTORY, ENCYCLOPEDIA and THESAURUS, plus the spangram LOOKITUP.
What was the big word in the February 24, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 24, 2026 is LOOKITUP, 8 letters long, running from row 8, column 1 to row 1, 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 “Just for reference” mean?
The Strands theme “Just for reference” for February 24, 2026 means LOOKITUP — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 4 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands February 24, 2026?
Strands puzzle #723 has 4 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the February 24, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #723 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 99% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on February 24, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 is #723, 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.