#722Monday, February 23, 2026
Strands answers for February 23, 2026 — “Strike a chord” (#722)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for February 23, 2026 (puzzle #722) is GUITAR, a 6-letter answer to the theme "Strike a chord". The 7 theme words are BODY, BRIDGE, FRETBOARD, HEADSTOCK, NECK, PEGS and STRING.
Where is each answer on the February 23 Strands board?
The 7 theme words for Strands on February 23, 2026 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BODY | 4 | row 5, column 3 | row 7, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| BRIDGE | 6 | row 4, column 6 | row 4, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| FRETBOARD | 9 | row 8, column 6 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| HEADSTOCK | 9 | row 3, column 1 | row 2, column 6 | left to right |
| NECK | 4 | row 2, column 5 | row 2, column 2 | right to left |
| PEGS | 4 | row 4, column 3 | row 6, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| STRING | 6 | row 7, column 1 | row 6, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| GUITAR | 6 | row 4, column 1 | row 3, column 6 | left to right |
What did the February 23 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for February 23, 2026 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 6 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 A-D-S-T-O-C, row 2 reads E-K-C-E-N-K, row 3 reads H-U-I-T-A-R, row 4 reads G-E-P-G-E-B, row 5 reads G-O-B-D-I-R, row 6 reads S-D-G-B-T-E, row 7 reads S-Y-N-O-D-R, and row 8 reads T-R-I-A-R-F.
How hard was the February 23 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #722 comes out easy, ahead of 1% 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 23 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #722 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 23 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on February 23, 2026?
The Strands clue for February 23, 2026 is “Strike a chord”, on puzzle #722. It is answered by the spangram GUITAR, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on February 23, 2026?
The 7 Strands theme words for February 23, 2026 are BODY, BRIDGE, FRETBOARD, HEADSTOCK, NECK, PEGS and STRING, plus the spangram GUITAR.
What was the big word in the February 23, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for February 23, 2026 is GUITAR, 6 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 3, 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 “Strike a chord” mean?
The Strands theme “Strike a chord” for February 23, 2026 means GUITAR — 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 23, 2026?
Strands puzzle #722 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the February 23, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #722 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 1% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on February 23, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, February 23, 2026 is #722, 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.