#271Friday, November 29, 2024
Strands answers for November 29, 2024 — “Give me a break” (#271)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for November 29, 2024 (puzzle #271) is DOWNTIME, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Give me a break". The 7 theme words are CHILL, LOAF, LOUNGE, LUXURIATE, PAUSE, RELAX and UNWIND.
Where is each answer on the November 29 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #271 is 7 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHILL | 5 | row 1, column 6 | row 2, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| LOAF | 4 | row 6, column 5 | row 3, column 5 | bottom to top |
| LOUNGE | 6 | row 3, column 3 | row 2, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| LUXURIATE | 9 | row 5, column 1 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| PAUSE | 5 | row 5, column 6 | row 5, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| RELAX | 5 | row 5, column 2 | row 3, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| UNWIND | 6 | row 6, column 6 | row 8, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| DOWNTIME | 8 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 3 | top to bottom |
What did the November 29 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #271 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 8 letters7 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 N-G-D-L-I-C, row 2 reads U-O-E-O-L-H, row 3 reads A-X-L-W-F-U, row 4 reads L-E-N-A-S-A, row 5 reads L-R-T-O-E-P, row 6 reads T-U-X-I-L-U, row 7 reads E-A-U-M-N-W, and row 8 reads I-R-E-D-N-I.
How hard was the November 29 Strands puzzle?
The difficulty index rates puzzle #271 as hard: it sits at the 86th percentile of every Strands grid to date.
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 29 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #271 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 29 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on November 29, 2024?
The Strands clue for November 29, 2024 is “Give me a break”, on puzzle #271. It is answered by the spangram DOWNTIME, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on November 29, 2024?
The 7 Strands theme words for November 29, 2024 are CHILL, LOAF, LOUNGE, LUXURIATE, PAUSE, RELAX and UNWIND, plus the spangram DOWNTIME.
What was the big word in the November 29, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for November 29, 2024 is DOWNTIME, 8 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 to row 8, column 3. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Give me a break” mean?
The Strands theme “Give me a break” for November 29, 2024 means DOWNTIME — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 7 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands November 29, 2024?
Strands puzzle #271 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the November 29, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #271 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 86% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on November 29, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, November 29, 2024 is #271, 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 2024, part of the full Strands archive.