#707Sunday, February 8, 2026
Strands answers for February 8, 2026 — “Make it fancy” (#707)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 8, 2026 (puzzle #707) is COCKTAILGARNISH, a 15-letter answer to the theme "Make it fancy". The 6 theme words are CELERY, CHERRY, OLIVE, SHRIMP, SPRIG and TWIST.
Where is each answer on the February 8 Strands board?
Strands #707 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram COCKTAILGARNISH.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CELERY | 6 | row 8, column 1 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| CHERRY | 6 | row 6, column 5 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| OLIVE | 5 | row 4, column 3 | row 3, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SHRIMP | 6 | row 5, column 5 | row 2, column 6 | bottom to top |
| SPRIG | 5 | row 6, column 3 | row 5, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| TWIST | 5 | row 4, column 1 | row 1, column 1 | bottom to top |
| COCKTAILGARNISH | 15 | row 1, column 2 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the February 8 Strands grid look like?
The grid below is six letters wide and eight rows deep, with every answer traced through the letters it uses.
Spangram — 15 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 T-C-K-T-A-I, row 2 reads S-I-O-C-L-P, row 3 reads W-V-E-G-R-M, row 4 reads T-I-O-A-H-I, row 5 reads I-G-L-R-S-H, row 6 reads R-P-S-N-C-E, row 7 reads E-E-Y-I-R-R, and row 8 reads C-L-R-S-H-Y.
How hard was the February 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands #707 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 79% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
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 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #707 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 8 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 8, 2026?
The Strands clue for February 8, 2026 is “Make it fancy”, on puzzle #707. It is answered by the spangram COCKTAILGARNISH, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 8, 2026?
The 6 Strands theme words for February 8, 2026 are CELERY, CHERRY, OLIVE, SHRIMP, SPRIG and TWIST, plus the spangram COCKTAILGARNISH.
What was the big word in the February 8, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 8, 2026 is COCKTAILGARNISH, 15 letters long, running from row 1, column 2 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 “Make it fancy” mean?
The Strands theme “Make it fancy” for February 8, 2026 means COCKTAILGARNISH — 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 8, 2026?
Strands puzzle #707 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the February 8, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #707 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 8, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Sunday, February 8, 2026 is #707, 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.