#163Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Strands answers for August 13, 2024 — “Look it up!” (#163)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 13, 2024 (puzzle #163) is REFERENCE, a 9-letter answer to the theme "Look it up!". The 5 theme words are ALMANAC, ATLAS, DICTIONARY, HANDBOOK and THESAURUS.
Where is each answer on the August 13 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #163 is 5 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALMANAC | 7 | row 8, column 1 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| ATLAS | 5 | row 1, column 1 | row 3, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| DICTIONARY | 10 | row 4, column 5 | row 1, column 6 | bottom to top |
| HANDBOOK | 8 | row 3, column 3 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| THESAURUS | 9 | row 5, column 5 | row 8, column 4 | top to bottom |
| REFERENCE | 9 | row 8, column 3 | row 1, column 2 | bottom to top |
What did the August 13 Strands grid look like?
The grid below is six letters wide and eight rows deep, with every answer traced through the letters it uses.
Spangram — 9 letters5 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads A-E-N-A-R-Y, row 2 reads A-T-C-O-I-T, row 3 reads S-L-H-N-I-C, row 4 reads D-N-A-E-D-H, row 5 reads O-B-C-R-T-E, row 6 reads O-N-A-E-F-S, row 7 reads K-A-M-E-U-A, and row 8 reads A-L-R-S-U-R.
How hard was the August 13 Strands puzzle?
Strands #163 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 39% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the August 13 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #163 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the August 13 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 13, 2024?
The Strands clue for August 13, 2024 is “Look it up!”, on puzzle #163. It is answered by the spangram REFERENCE, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 13, 2024?
The 5 Strands theme words for August 13, 2024 are ALMANAC, ATLAS, DICTIONARY, HANDBOOK and THESAURUS, plus the spangram REFERENCE.
What was the big word in the August 13, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 13, 2024 is REFERENCE, 9 letters long, running from row 8, column 3 to row 1, column 2. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Look it up!” mean?
The Strands theme “Look it up!” for August 13, 2024 means REFERENCE — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands August 13, 2024?
Strands puzzle #163 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 13, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #163 rates average on a computed index, harder than 39% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 13, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 is #163, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in August 2024, part of the full Strands archive.