NYT Strands hints, answers for February 14, 2026

Mashable
February 14, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Today’s New York Times Strands puzzle offers a unique twist on the classic word-search game, challenging players to connect letters in any direction—up, down, left, right, or diagonally—to form words. Unlike traditional word searches, every single letter in the grid is part of an answer, and all solutions are linked by a unifying theme. For February 14, 2026, the theme revolves around love, with words describing ways to show affection. The spangram, a special phrase spanning the entire grid vertically or horizontally, adds another layer of intrigue, with today’s being "Visual Aids." The game’s opaque hints and lack of a provided word list make it a brain-teasing experience that takes longer to solve than other NYT games like Wordle or Connections. For those feeling stuck or short on time, the article provides essential clues and answers to help progress through the puzzle. The spangram hint for today is vertical, and the word list includes terms like "snuggle," "embrace," "hugs and kisses," and "smooch," all of which tie back to the theme of love and affection. For readers interested in tech and
Verticals
tech
Originally published on Mashable on 2/14/2026