NYT Strands Hints & Answer — XOXOXO, February 14, 2026

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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “XOXOXO”, February 14, 2026

Stuck on the February 14, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “XOXOXO” puzzle (Strands #405 of 470 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 14, 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 14, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “XOXOXO”. 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 “XOXOXO” puzzle is 13 letters long and starts with the letter H. 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 14, 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 14, 2026 NYT Strands “XOXOXO” puzzle is HUGSANDKISSES. 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 14, 2026 NYT Strands “XOXOXO” puzzle:

  • CUDDLE
  • EMBRACE
  • PECK
  • SMACK
  • SMOOCH
  • SNUGGLE

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

Answers for the February 14, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "XOXOXO" NYT Strands puzzle

"XOXOXO" — a theme that invites you to explore a specific concept through the lens of this Strands puzzle. The phrase describes a mood, setting, or idea, and every theme word hidden in the 6×8 grid belongs to that same world. This general puzzle uses its descriptive title to guide your intuition. Start by brainstorming words that come to mind when you read the theme, then look for them on the board.

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 13-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 Saturday, Puzzle #405 is a more recent addition to the 470+ puzzle archive.

#405
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
13
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "XOXOXO"

  • The theme paints a picture. Brainstorm 5-10 words that come to mind when you read it, then scan the grid for those words or close variants.
  • The long 13-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.
  • Longer words are often easier to find first because they have more distinctive letter sequences. Save short 4-5 letter words for last when the grid is more open.
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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.