Daily challenge: Monday, February 16, 2026

The complete record of this day's puzzles: each grid, every word it contained, and the players who scored highest. Words are validated against Popple's 172,727-word dictionary; minimum length is 3 letters on 4×4, 4 on 5×5, and 5 on 6×6.

4x4 grid (103 possible words, minimum 3 letters)

UUGM
NNST
SURH
TEWK

All 103 words in this grid

7-letter words (1)

UNSTUNG

6-letter words (11)

STERNS, STRUNG, STRUTS, STURTS, SUNSET, SUREST, THRUST, TRUEST, UNREST, UNSUNG, UNSURE

5-letter words (25)

RUNGS, SHREW, SNUGS, STERN, STREW, STRUT, STUNG, STUNS, STURT, SUERS, SUETS, SUNNS, TERNS, THREW, TRETS, TRUES, TRUST, TUNGS, TURNS, UNSET, UNSEW, USERS, WREST, WRUNG, WURST

4-letter words (42)

ERNS, ERST, GNUS, GUNS, GUSH, GUST, NUNS, NUTS, REST, RETS, RUES, RUNG, RUNS, RUSE, RUSH, RUST, RUTS, SERS, SNUG, STEW, STUN, SUER, SUES, SUET, SUNG, SUNN, SUNS, SURE, TERN, THRU, TRET, TRUE, TUNG, TUNS, TURK, TURN, TUSH, URNS, USER, WERT, WEST, WETS

3-letter words (24)

ERN, ERS, GNU, GUN, NUN, NUS, NUT, RES, RET, RUE, RUN, RUT, SER, SET, SEW, SUE, SUN, TEW, TUN, UNS, URN, USE, UTS, WET

5x5 grid (208 possible words, minimum 4 letters)

STNOW
ATVHO
DLDNO
TISEC
SNWER

All 208 words in this grid

8-letter words (3)

CONSIDER, REWIDENS, SECONDER

7-letter words (8)

COEDITS, CONSIST, CREDITS, LINSEED, REEDITS, REWIDEN, SECONDE, SECONDI

6-letter words (30)

CENSER, COEDIT, CREDIT, CREEDS, CREWED, DENSER, DESIST, ECESIS, ERENOW, NOESIS, ONSIDE, RECONS, REEDIT, RESEND, RESEWN, RESIDE, RESINS, RESIST, REWEDS, REWINS, SADIST, SECOND, SLIDER, SNIDER, STILTS, TILDES, TSADIS, WIDENS, WILDER, WONDER

5-letter words (69)

ADITS, ALDER, ALIST, CEDIS, CENSE, CERED, CERES, COEDS, CONED, CONES, COONS, CREED, CREWS, DENSE, DINTS, EDITS, HONED, HONER, HONES, LINTS, NEWER, NIDAL, NIDES, NOHOW, NOONS, RECON, REDID, REEDS, RENDS, RESEW, RESID, RESIN, REWED, REWIN, SADIS, SALTS, SALVO, SERED, SEWED, SEWER, SIDES, SILDS, SILTS, SLATS, SLIDE, SLITS, SNEER, SNIDE, SNITS, STILT, SWEER, TIDAL, TIDES, TILDE, TILTS, TSADI, WEEDS, WEENS, WENDS, WIDEN, WIDER, WIDES, WILDS, WILTS, WISED, WISER, WONTS, WOOED, WOOER

4-letter words (98)

ADIT, ALIT, ALTS, CEDI, CEES, CERE, COED, COHO, CONE, CONS, COON, CREW, DALS, DECO, DEER, DEES, DENS, DERE, DEWS, DHOW, DINS, DINT, DITS, EDIT, ENDS, ENOW, EONS, EWER, EWES, HOED, HOER, HOES, HONE, HONS, IDES, LAST, LATS, LIDS, LINS, LINT, LIST, LITS, NEWS, NIDE, NILS, NITS, NOES, NOON, ONCE, ONES, REDS, REED, REES, REND, SADI, SALS, SALT, SEED, SEEN, SEER, SEND, SERE, SEWN, SIDE, SILD, SILT, SINS, SITS, SLAT, SLID, SLIT, SNED, SNIT, SNOW, STAT, TALI, TATS, TIDE, TILS, TILT, TINS, WEDS, WEED, WEEN, WEER, WEES, WEND, WENS, WERE, WIDE, WILD, WILT, WINS, WISE, WIST, WITS, WONS, WONT

6x6 grid (138 possible words, minimum 5 letters)

USTUAA
EMTDSB
HIERIO
EIHOSF
KIEVFC
REOAEH

All 138 words in this grid

9-letter words (2)

DISFAVORS, FORETIMES

8-letter words (6)

AVOIDERS, DIRTIEST, DISFAVOR, EMEROIDS, FORETIME, STEROIDS

7-letter words (20)

ABIDERS, AVOIDER, BIREMES, DAUTIES, DEHORTS, DIRTIES, EMEROID, FAVORED, FORTIES, MUSTERS, MUSTIER, OFFSIDE, RETIMES, SMITERS, SORTIED, SORTIES, STEROID, STUDIOS, TRIBADE, VOIDERS

6-letter words (39)

ABIDER, AUDIOS, AVOIDS, BIDERS, BIDETS, BIREME, BOFFOS, DAUTIE, DEHORT, DEMIES, DEMITS, DUTIES, ESTERS, FAVORS, FIORDS, FOETUS, FOVEAE, MEDUSA, METROS, MITERS, MITRED, MUSTED, MUSTER, OVOIDS, REHIRE, REMITS, RETIES, RETIME, SABIRS, SAUTED, SMITER, SORTED, SORTIE, STRIDE, STROVE, STUDIO, TIMERS, UTTERS, VOIDER

5-letter words (71)

ABIDE, ADIOS, AFORE, ASIDE, AUDIO, AVOID, BASIS, BAUDS, BIDER, BIDET, BIFFS, BIRDS, BOFFO, BOFFS, CHEFS, DAUTS, DEMES, DEMIT, DIRTS, DRIBS, DROVE, EERIE, EMEUS, EMITS, ESTER, FAVOR, FIORD, FIRED, FORDS, FORTE, FORTS, FOVEA, HEAVE, HEMES, HERDS, HEROS, HIKER, HOERS, HORDE, ITEMS, KEEVE, KIERS, METRO, MITER, MITRE, MITTS, OVOID, REEVE, REMIT, RETIE, RIFFS, SABIR, SADIS, SAUTE, SIRED, SMITE, SORDS, SORTS, STIED, STIME, STUDS, TIERS, TIMED, TIMER, TIMES, TRIOS, TROIS, TROVE, UTERI, UTTER, VOIDS