#713Saturday, February 14, 2026
Strands answers for February 14, 2026 — “XOXOXO” (#713)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 14, 2026 (puzzle #713) is HUGSANDKISSES, a 13-letter answer to the theme "XOXOXO". The 6 theme words are CUDDLE, EMBRACE, PECK, SMACK, SMOOCH and SNUGGLE.
Where is each answer on the February 14 Strands board?
The 6 theme words for Strands on February 14, 2026 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUDDLE | 6 | row 6, column 3 | row 8, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| EMBRACE | 7 | row 3, column 2 | row 4, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| PECK | 4 | row 6, column 5 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| SMACK | 5 | row 4, column 5 | row 1, column 6 | bottom to top |
| SMOOCH | 6 | row 8, column 6 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| SNUGGLE | 7 | row 1, column 1 | row 1, column 4 | left to right |
| HUGSANDKISSES | 13 | row 1, column 5 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the February 14 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for February 14, 2026 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 13 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-G-L-E-H-K, row 2 reads N-G-S-G-U-C, row 3 reads U-E-A-N-M-A, row 4 reads E-M-K-D-S-K, row 5 reads C-B-I-S-C-E, row 6 reads A-R-C-S-P-H, row 7 reads D-D-U-E-C-M, and row 8 reads L-E-S-O-O-S.
How hard was the February 14 Strands puzzle?
Measured against the full archive, the February 14, 2026 puzzle lands in the above average range — above 66% of all Strands puzzles.
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 14 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #713 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 14 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 14, 2026?
The Strands clue for February 14, 2026 is “XOXOXO”, on puzzle #713. It is answered by the spangram HUGSANDKISSES, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 14, 2026?
The 6 Strands theme words for February 14, 2026 are CUDDLE, EMBRACE, PECK, SMACK, SMOOCH and SNUGGLE, plus the spangram HUGSANDKISSES.
What was the big word in the February 14, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 14, 2026 is HUGSANDKISSES, 13 letters long, running from row 1, column 5 to row 8, column 3. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “XOXOXO” mean?
The Strands theme “XOXOXO” for February 14, 2026 means HUGSANDKISSES — 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 14, 2026?
Strands puzzle #713 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the February 14, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #713 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 66% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on February 14, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, February 14, 2026 is #713, 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.