Wordle: Today's answer and tips for Feb. 19, 2026

Today's daily Wordle solution for Feb. 19, 2026 is HOIST. The five-letter entry is both a verb and a noun, and it proved comfortable for many players; testers averaged 3. 8 guesses. Here’s what to know about the word, how solvers fared in testing, and practical hints to help you finish your grid before the reveal.

Today's answer and what it means

The answer for Feb. 19, 2026 is HOIST. Used as a verb, it commonly means to raise or haul up—often with mechanical help. As a noun it can refer to the lifting apparatus itself. The word contains three consonants and two vowels arranged as H-O-I-S-T, with no repeated letters. That combination of common consonants and two different vowels is often friendly for solvers who lock in multiple letters early.

How testers fared and what that suggests

Pre-release testers finished this puzzle with an average of 3. 8 guesses out of six, indicating it landed on the easier side of the difficulty scale for those who previewed it. In the testing methodology, a missed puzzle counts as seven guesses. The relatively low average suggests that many players who landed on at least one correct letter early were able to narrow options quickly thanks to the pair of vowels and the presence of common consonants like S and T.

Keep in mind that Wordle is released at midnight in each player’s local time zone. Editorial guidance and daily reviews are dated by Eastern Time (ET), so the review for Feb. 19, 2026 corresponds to that ET date. If your puzzle number or date looks off, check the review number to confirm you’re viewing the match for your time zone.

Hints and strategies to solve HOIST faster

Below are spoiler-friendly strategies for players who want help without seeing the answer immediately:

• Vowel focus: Because the solution contains two distinct vowels (O and I), a starting word that tests multiple vowels can pay dividends on the first move. If you already have one vowel confirmed, target the other early.
• Common-consonant sweep: Letters S and T are both present, and they are common in many five-letter words. If you find S or T in a different position than expected, consider permutations that place the other letters around them.
• Position awareness: H is at the start in this solution. If you uncover H early but not at the first position, try words that shift H through plausible spots to see whether it’s misplaced or correctly placed.
• Eliminate confidently: With five unique letters, ruling out common consonants quickly narrows possibilities. If initial guesses turn up two or three gray letters, pivot to words built from remaining common letters to pressure the correct combination.
• Keep options broad in early guesses: A balanced starting word that mixes vowels and common consonants gives the most informative feedback. If you prefer a steady strategy, aim for a first guess that cycles through at least two vowels and two high-frequency consonants.

Remember, each day brings a fresh puzzle at midnight local time. If you didn’t get HOIST today, there will be a new challenge tomorrow. For those who enjoy deeper analysis, many players use third-party tools and community discussion to compare strategies, but the core fun remains in cracking the grid yourself.

Play smart, and good luck with tomorrow’s puzzle—new Wordle content arrives every day, dated by Eastern Time.