Loading puzzle...

NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “It's on the house”, February 10, 2026

Stuck on the February 10, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “It's on the house” puzzle (Strands #401 of 509 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the February 10, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the February 10, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “It's on the house”. Every theme word and the spangram connects back to this phrase, so think about what related words might fit a 6×8 grid of 48 letters before you start scanning.

Hint 2: Spangram length and first letterReveal

The spangram for the “It's on the house” puzzle is 14 letters long and starts with the letter S. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the February 10, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle has 6 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the February 10, 2026 NYT Strands “It's on the house” puzzle is SIDINGMATERIAL. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 6 theme words for the February 10, 2026 NYT Strands “It's on the house” puzzle:

  • BRICK
  • COMPOSITE
  • STONE
  • STUCCO
  • VINYL
  • WOOD

Plus the spangram SIDINGMATERIAL, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.

Answers for the February 10, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "It's on the house" NYT Strands puzzle

The theme "It's on the house" plays with language in a way that's typical of the best Strands puzzles. There's likely a double meaning or clever twist embedded in this phrase — and the spangram reveals which interpretation the puzzle maker intended. This home & family puzzle rewards lateral thinking. Don't just take the theme at face value; consider what else the words could mean when read a different way.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. The 14-letter spangram is notably long, consuming a good chunk of the grid's 48 letters. Its size makes it easier to find if you focus on the grid's edges. Originally published on a Tuesday, Puzzle #401 is a more recent addition to the 509+ puzzle archive.

#401
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
14
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "It's on the house"

  • This theme contains wordplay — don't take it at face value. Think about alternative meanings and which interpretation the hidden words might support.
  • The long 14-letter spangram is your best starting point. Scan the edges of the grid — the spangram must start on one side and end on the opposite side.
  • Theme words can bend and curve in any direction, including diagonals. They don't follow straight lines like a traditional word search — trace paths that zigzag across the grid.
PreviousAll NYT Strands answersNext

More puzzles from February 2026

28 Sat
Dressing up
27 Fri
It's a little much
26 Thu
Watch the attitude!
25 Wed
That's really out there!
24 Tue
Just for reference
23 Mon
Strike a chord
View all February puzzles

More NYT Strands puzzles

Oct 24
Through the ages
Oct 14
This & that
Apr 16
Fore!
Feb 23
Oh, this old thing?
May 30
We'll be there
May 29
E-I-E-I-O
May 28
Talking scents
May 27
Ketchup or mustard?

Sister Sites · More logic puzzles

Queens
Region logic, daily + 1,500 puzzles
Patches
Region-stitching puzzle
Tango
No 3-in-a-row pattern
Zip
Path-drawing puzzle
Mini Sudoku
Compact sudoku
Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive of past Strands puzzles. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. NYT Strands is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Today's daily puzzle is free at nytimes.com/games/strands.