#608Saturday, November 1, 2025
Strands answers for November 1, 2025 — “It's not polite to lick your plate” (#608)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for November 1, 2025 (puzzle #608) is GOODTASTE, a 9-letter answer to the theme "It's not polite to lick your plate". The 4 theme words are DELECTABLE, DELICIOUS, FLAVORFUL and SCRUMPTIOUS.
Where is each answer on the November 1 Strands board?
Strands #608 resolves to these 4 theme words plus the spangram GOODTASTE.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DELECTABLE | 10 | row 8, column 4 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| DELICIOUS | 9 | row 1, column 1 | row 3, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| FLAVORFUL | 9 | row 7, column 3 | row 8, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SCRUMPTIOUS | 11 | row 4, column 5 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| GOODTASTE | 9 | row 1, column 4 | row 7, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the November 1 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 letters4 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 D-L-I-G-I-O, row 2 reads E-C-O-P-T-U, row 3 reads I-S-O-U-M-S, row 4 reads O-U-D-R-S-E, row 5 reads O-V-T-C-L-A, row 6 reads R-A-L-A-B-T, row 7 reads F-E-F-S-L-C, and row 8 reads L-U-T-D-E-E.
How hard was the November 1 Strands puzzle?
On this index, the November 1, 2025 puzzle sits at the top of the whole archive: nothing published scores harder.
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 November 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #608 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 November 1 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on November 1, 2025?
The Strands clue for November 1, 2025 is “It's not polite to lick your plate”, on puzzle #608. It is answered by the spangram GOODTASTE, and all 4 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on November 1, 2025?
The 4 Strands theme words for November 1, 2025 are DELECTABLE, DELICIOUS, FLAVORFUL and SCRUMPTIOUS, plus the spangram GOODTASTE.
What was the big word in the November 1, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for November 1, 2025 is GOODTASTE, 9 letters long, running from row 1, column 4 to row 7, 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 “It's not polite to lick your plate” mean?
The Strands theme “It's not polite to lick your plate” for November 1, 2025 means GOODTASTE — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 4 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands November 1, 2025?
Strands puzzle #608 has 4 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the November 1, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #608 is the hardest puzzle on the computed difficulty index — no Strands grid published since March 2024 rates above it.
What number was the Strands puzzle on November 1, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Saturday, November 1, 2025 is #608, 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 November 2025, part of the full Strands archive.