#715Monday, February 16, 2026
Strands answers for February 16, 2026 — “The cutting edge” (#715)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 16, 2026 (puzzle #715) is FIGURESKATING, a 13-letter answer to the theme "The cutting edge". The 7 theme words are COMBO, CROSSOVER, JUMP, LIFT, LOOP, SPIN and THROW.
Where is each answer on the February 16 Strands board?
Here are all 7 theme words from the February 16, 2026 Strands puzzle, with the spangram last.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMBO | 5 | row 8, column 2 | row 6, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| CROSSOVER | 9 | row 3, column 1 | row 2, column 4 | left to right |
| JUMP | 4 | row 3, column 4 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| LIFT | 4 | row 7, column 4 | row 4, column 5 | bottom to top |
| LOOP | 4 | row 5, column 2 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SPIN | 4 | row 4, column 6 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| THROW | 5 | row 7, column 6 | row 5, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| FIGURESKATING | 13 | row 6, column 2 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the February 16 Strands grid look like?
Every letter below appears in exactly one answer — the 8 words tile all 48 cells of the February 16, 2026 grid.
Spangram — 13 letters7 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 O-S-V-E-M-P, row 2 reads R-S-O-R-U-I, row 3 reads C-U-R-J-P-N, row 4 reads G-O-O-E-T-S, row 5 reads I-L-P-S-F-W, row 6 reads O-F-K-I-R-O, row 7 reads B-O-A-L-H-T, and row 8 reads M-C-T-I-N-G.
How hard was the February 16 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #715 comes out above average, ahead of 78% 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 16 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #715 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 16 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 16, 2026?
The Strands clue for February 16, 2026 is “The cutting edge”, on puzzle #715. It is answered by the spangram FIGURESKATING, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 16, 2026?
The 7 Strands theme words for February 16, 2026 are COMBO, CROSSOVER, JUMP, LIFT, LOOP, SPIN and THROW, plus the spangram FIGURESKATING.
What was the big word in the February 16, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 16, 2026 is FIGURESKATING, 13 letters long, running from row 6, column 2 to row 8, 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 “The cutting edge” mean?
The Strands theme “The cutting edge” for February 16, 2026 means FIGURESKATING — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 7 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands February 16, 2026?
Strands puzzle #715 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the February 16, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #715 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 78% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on February 16, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, February 16, 2026 is #715, 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.