Valentine’s Day Strands puzzle delivers an affectionate XOXOXO theme with perfectly matched spangram today.
Three hug words and three kiss words create a balanced emotional solving experience.
HUGS AND KISSES spangram reveals puzzle’s heartwarming connection across the entire grid beautifully.
Some Strands puzzles test your vocabulary. Others test your logic. Today’s grid leans into something softer, the language of affection. The puzzle based on the theme XOXOXO requires players to discover gestures that people use to demonstrate intimacy because every successful discovery creates a stronger personal connection to the game. The players must discover all the theme words while they search for the spangram that unites the entire game board.
Falling perfectly on Valentine’s Day, the theme feels less like a coincidence and more like a quiet celebration of love in its simplest forms.
The hint divides the puzzle into two parts because it shows that some actions require arm movement while others need lip movement. The grid starts to become accessible after that element operates as expected.
HUGS AND KISSES: The ultimate sign of affection and love, encapsulating the theme in its entirety.
SNUGGLE: To snuggle up comfortably with someone, exuding warmth and affection.
EMBRACE: To envelop someone in your arms, often to convey love, support, or comfort.
CUDDLE: To hug someone in a gentle, lingering manner, symbolizing care and comfort.
SMACK: A loud, playful kiss.
PECK: A quick, light kiss, often brief and sweet.
SMOOCH: An exaggerated or romantic kiss.
The words together make a well-balanced combination, three hugs and three kisses, symbolizing the essence of X’s and O’s.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Strands Hints and Answers for February 13, 2026
What makes today’s NYT Strands so delightful is its emotional resonance. As soon as the spangram emerges, the other words no longer seem random but somehow linked. It is a testament to the fact that the most enjoyable puzzles are not merely about filling a grid but about identifying a pattern.
On a day dedicated to love, today’s Strands becomes more than a word search; it’s a gentle nod to the small, universal gestures that say everything without needing many words.