#239Monday, October 28, 2024
Strands answers for October 28, 2024 — “Fall fun” (#239)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for October 28, 2024 (puzzle #239) is ORCHARDS, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Fall fun". The 6 theme words are APPLES, CIDER, DOUGHNUTS, HAYRIDES, MAZE and PUMPKINS.
Where is each answer on the October 28 Strands board?
Strands #239 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram ORCHARDS.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APPLES | 6 | row 8, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| CIDER | 5 | row 6, column 2 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| DOUGHNUTS | 9 | row 8, column 3 | row 7, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| HAYRIDES | 8 | row 3, column 5 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| MAZE | 4 | row 3, column 3 | row 3, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| PUMPKINS | 8 | row 3, column 4 | row 1, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| ORCHARDS | 8 | row 5, column 1 | row 5, column 6 | left to right |
What did the October 28 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 S-N-P-M-D-S, row 2 reads I-K-U-I-R-E, row 3 reads E-A-M-P-H-Y, row 4 reads Z-R-H-A-D-A, row 5 reads O-U-C-G-R-S, row 6 reads T-C-N-H-U-P, row 7 reads R-S-I-O-P-L, and row 8 reads E-D-D-A-E-S.
How hard was the October 28 Strands puzzle?
The difficulty index rates puzzle #239 as hard: it sits at the 91th 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 October 28 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #239 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 October 28 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on October 28, 2024?
The Strands clue for October 28, 2024 is “Fall fun”, on puzzle #239. It is answered by the spangram ORCHARDS, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on October 28, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for October 28, 2024 are APPLES, CIDER, DOUGHNUTS, HAYRIDES, MAZE and PUMPKINS, plus the spangram ORCHARDS.
What was the big word in the October 28, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for October 28, 2024 is ORCHARDS, 8 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 5, 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 “Fall fun” mean?
The Strands theme “Fall fun” for October 28, 2024 means ORCHARDS — 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 October 28, 2024?
Strands puzzle #239 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the October 28, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #239 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 91% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on October 28, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, October 28, 2024 is #239, 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 October 2024, part of the full Strands archive.