If today’s NYT Strands theme made you immediately think of brewing, you were on the right track. This grid is built around classic ingredients (plus one extra that affects taste), with a spangram that neatly captures the whole idea.
21 February 2026 NYT Strands Theme: “The beer necessities”
Today’s theme points straight to the building blocks of beer—what you’d expect to see on a brewing checklist. Once you spot even one of the core ingredients, the rest tend to cascade quickly.
21 February 2026 NYT Strands Hints
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Think of the basic “recipe” items used to make beer: grains, water, fermentation agents, and what feeds them.
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Look for short, common brewing words first (they often sit cleanly along edges).
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If you find a grain early, scan nearby for other grains and for the fermentation-related terms.
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The spangram is a phrase tied to making beer at home (not a single ingredient).
21 February 2026 NYT Strands Answers
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Hops
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Malt
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Wheat
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Sugar
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Yeast
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Water
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Barley
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Flavor
Spangram
Home Brew
How Strands works
Strands is a daily word search puzzle with a twist:
- You’re given a theme.
- The grid is packed with hidden words tied to that theme.
- Words can run in any direction, including diagonals.
- Once you find all the theme words, you’re done!
Each puzzle usually has around 6–8 theme words.
How to get and use hints
Hints are built right into Strands, and they’re super useful if you’re stuck:
- To earn a hint, find any non-theme word of at least four letters in the grid.
- Each valid extra word gives you one hint.
- When you use a hint, one of the theme words will be revealed automatically, helping you move forward.
Pro tip: Don’t just burn hints — use them strategically when the grid feels impossible. Sometimes a single revealed word unlocks the entire board.
Tips to become a NYT Strands pro
- Start with obvious words. Look for clear connections to the theme first.
- Scan diagonals early. Strands loves to hide words at an angle.
- Build around found words. Once one word is cleared, the leftover letters often point to the next.
- Use hints wisely. Earn them steadily by spotting extra words, then save them for when you’re truly stuck.
- Think about synonyms. The theme clue isn’t always literal — broaden your thinking.
