#354Thursday, February 20, 2025
Strands answers for February 20, 2025 — “Together for the present” (#354)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 20, 2025 (puzzle #354) is ANNIVERSARY, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Together for the present". The 6 theme words are DIAMOND, FIFTIETH, FIRST, GOLD, PAPER and SIXTIETH.
Where is each answer on the February 20 Strands board?
Strands #354 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram ANNIVERSARY.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIAMOND | 7 | row 8, column 2 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| FIFTIETH | 8 | row 2, column 5 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| FIRST | 5 | row 2, column 2 | row 2, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| GOLD | 4 | row 8, column 4 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| PAPER | 5 | row 8, column 5 | row 6, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| SIXTIETH | 8 | row 5, column 2 | row 2, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| ANNIVERSARY | 11 | row 8, column 1 | row 1, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the February 20 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #354 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 11 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-R-Y-R-A-S, row 2 reads T-F-I-H-F-R, row 3 reads T-E-T-I-E-D, row 4 reads X-I-F-T-V-N, row 5 reads I-S-I-I-M-O, row 6 reads T-E-N-A-R-E, row 7 reads H-N-I-L-D-P, and row 8 reads A-D-O-G-P-A.
How hard was the February 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands #354 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 31% 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 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #354 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 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 20, 2025?
The Strands clue for February 20, 2025 is “Together for the present”, on puzzle #354. It is answered by the spangram ANNIVERSARY, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 20, 2025?
The 6 Strands theme words for February 20, 2025 are DIAMOND, FIFTIETH, FIRST, GOLD, PAPER and SIXTIETH, plus the spangram ANNIVERSARY.
What was the big word in the February 20, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 20, 2025 is ANNIVERSARY, 11 letters long, running from row 8, column 1 to row 1, 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 “Together for the present” mean?
The Strands theme “Together for the present” for February 20, 2025 means ANNIVERSARY — 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, 2025?
Strands puzzle #354 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, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #354 rates average on a computed index, harder than 31% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on February 20, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Thursday, February 20, 2025 is #354, 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 2025, part of the full Strands archive.