#170Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Strands answers for August 20, 2024 — “I think we're covered” (#170)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 20, 2024 (puzzle #170) is RAINGEAR, a 8-letter answer to the theme "I think we're covered". The 6 theme words are GAITERS, GALOSHES, HOOD, PONCHO, SLICKER and UMBRELLA.
Where is each answer on the August 20 Strands board?
Strands #170 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram RAINGEAR.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAITERS | 7 | row 7, column 5 | row 8, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| GALOSHES | 8 | row 8, column 2 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| HOOD | 4 | row 2, column 4 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| PONCHO | 6 | row 5, column 1 | row 8, column 1 | top to bottom |
| SLICKER | 7 | row 3, column 1 | row 2, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| UMBRELLA | 8 | row 2, column 6 | row 2, column 1 | right to left |
| RAINGEAR | 8 | row 4, column 1 | row 4, column 6 | left to right |
What did the August 20 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 — 8 letters6 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 L-L-E-R-B-M, row 2 reads A-E-R-H-O-U, row 3 reads S-L-K-O-A-D, row 4 reads R-I-C-E-S-R, row 5 reads P-A-I-G-O-H, row 6 reads N-O-N-L-E-S, row 7 reads C-H-A-E-G-A, and row 8 reads O-G-R-S-T-I.
How hard was the August 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands #170 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 46% 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 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #170 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the August 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 20, 2024?
The Strands clue for August 20, 2024 is “I think we're covered”, on puzzle #170. It is answered by the spangram RAINGEAR, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 20, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for August 20, 2024 are GAITERS, GALOSHES, HOOD, PONCHO, SLICKER and UMBRELLA, plus the spangram RAINGEAR.
What was the big word in the August 20, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 20, 2024 is RAINGEAR, 8 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 4, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “I think we're covered” mean?
The Strands theme “I think we're covered” for August 20, 2024 means RAINGEAR — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands August 20, 2024?
Strands puzzle #170 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 20, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #170 rates average on a computed index, harder than 46% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 20, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 is #170, 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.