Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, February 21, 2026 (Puzzle #720). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "The beer necessities"
What It Really Means
Today's theme focuses on the essential ingredients and components needed to brew beer. Think about what goes into making beer from scratch.
Think About...
- Basic ingredients found in beer recipes
- Components that affect beer's flavor, color, and alcohol content
- Raw materials used in the brewing process
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Straight down then zig-zag to the bottom
Letter Count: 7 letters
Starting Zone: Third letter of the first row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): What you're doing when you make your own beer
Hint 2 (Warmer): The DIY approach to beer making, often done by enthusiasts
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is H, last letter is W
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HOMEBREW
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: The most basic ingredient, makes up most of beer
Closer: Essential liquid component, often purified
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 5 letters total
Answer
WATER
Word 2
Vague: Grain that provides fermentable sugars
Closer: Processed barley used in brewing
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 4 letters total
Answer
MALT
Word 3
Vague: What hops and other ingredients contribute
Closer: The taste profile of the finished beer
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 6 letters total
Answer
FLAVOR
Word 4
Vague: Plant that adds bitterness and aroma
Closer: Cone-shaped flowers used in brewing
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 4 letters total
Answer
HOPS
Word 5
Vague: Microorganism that ferments the sugars
Closer: Fungus that converts sugar to alcohol
Letter Clue: Starts with Y, 5 letters total
Answer
YEAST
Word 6
Vague: Grain used in certain beer styles
Closer: Common grain in wheat beers and hefeweizens
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 5 letters total
Answer
WHEAT
Word 7
Vague: What yeast consumes during fermentation
Closer: Sweet substance that converts to alcohol
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SUGAR
Word 8
Vague: Primary grain used in most beers
Closer: The main cereal grain for brewing
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total
Answer
BARLEY
Full Answers
Spangram: HOMEBREW
Theme Words:
- WATER
- MALT
- FLAVOR
- HOPS
- YEAST
- WHEAT
- SUGAR
- BARLEY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: FLAVOR (It's more abstract than the concrete ingredients, making it less obvious in a brewing context)
Our Take: A solid brewing-themed puzzle that covers all the essentials. The "beer necessities" pun works well, and the eight theme words provide good coverage of the brewing process. The spangram HOMEBREW ties everything together neatly, though some players might find FLAVOR slightly out of place among the more tangible ingredients.
