#609Sunday, November 2, 2025
Strands answers for November 2, 2025 — “Go the distance” (#609)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for November 2, 2025 (puzzle #609) is MARATHON, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Go the distance". The 6 theme words are FINISH, HYDRATION, PACE, RUNNER, START and TIMEKEEPER.
Where is each answer on the November 2 Strands board?
The 6 theme words for Strands on November 2, 2025 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINISH | 6 | row 6, column 6 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| HYDRATION | 9 | row 6, column 1 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| PACE | 4 | row 2, column 6 | row 2, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| RUNNER | 6 | row 4, column 1 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| START | 5 | row 1, column 1 | row 1, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| TIMEKEEPER | 10 | row 3, column 3 | row 4, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| MARATHON | 8 | row 8, column 3 | row 1, column 4 | bottom to top |
What did the November 2 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for November 2, 2025 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
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 S-T-R-N-C-A, row 2 reads T-A-O-I-E-P, row 3 reads U-H-T-M-E-P, row 4 reads R-N-T-E-R-E, row 5 reads N-E-R-A-K-E, row 6 reads H-Y-I-O-R-F, row 7 reads D-T-N-A-I-S, and row 8 reads R-A-M-N-I-H.
How hard was the November 2 Strands puzzle?
Measured against the full archive, the November 2, 2025 puzzle lands in the average range — above 51% of all Strands puzzles.
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 2 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #609 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 2 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on November 2, 2025?
The Strands clue for November 2, 2025 is “Go the distance”, on puzzle #609. It is answered by the spangram MARATHON, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on November 2, 2025?
The 6 Strands theme words for November 2, 2025 are FINISH, HYDRATION, PACE, RUNNER, START and TIMEKEEPER, plus the spangram MARATHON.
What was the big word in the November 2, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for November 2, 2025 is MARATHON, 8 letters long, running from row 8, column 3 to row 1, column 4. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Go the distance” mean?
The Strands theme “Go the distance” for November 2, 2025 means MARATHON — 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 November 2, 2025?
Strands puzzle #609 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the November 2, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #609 rates average on a computed index, harder than 51% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on November 2, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Sunday, November 2, 2025 is #609, 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.