#219Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Strands answers for October 8, 2024 — “Protective measures” (#219)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for October 8, 2024 (puzzle #219) is SECURITY, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Protective measures". The 6 theme words are BACKUP, ENCRYPTION, FIREWALL, LOCK, PASSWORD and SAFE.
Where is each answer on the October 8 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #219 is 6 theme words and one 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BACKUP | 6 | row 3, column 6 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| ENCRYPTION | 10 | row 6, column 4 | row 6, column 1 | right to left |
| FIREWALL | 8 | row 7, column 3 | row 8, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| LOCK | 4 | row 4, column 3 | row 5, column 6 | left to right |
| PASSWORD | 8 | row 3, column 1 | row 3, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SAFE | 4 | row 4, column 6 | row 1, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SECURITY | 8 | row 4, column 1 | row 5, column 4 | left to right |
What did the October 8 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-S-E-C-K-P, row 2 reads A-W-R-F-A-U, row 3 reads P-O-D-O-A-B, row 4 reads S-E-L-U-C-S, row 5 reads O-I-C-Y-R-K, row 6 reads N-W-T-E-T-I, row 7 reads A-E-F-P-N-C, and row 8 reads L-L-R-I-Y-R.
How hard was the October 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands #219 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 39% 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 October 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #219 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Jeff Petriello. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the October 8 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on October 8, 2024?
The Strands clue for October 8, 2024 is “Protective measures”, on puzzle #219. It is answered by the spangram SECURITY, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on October 8, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for October 8, 2024 are BACKUP, ENCRYPTION, FIREWALL, LOCK, PASSWORD and SAFE, plus the spangram SECURITY.
What was the big word in the October 8, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for October 8, 2024 is SECURITY, 8 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 5, 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 “Protective measures” mean?
The Strands theme “Protective measures” for October 8, 2024 means SECURITY — 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 8, 2024?
Strands puzzle #219 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the October 8, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #219 rates average on a computed index, harder than 39% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on October 8, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 is #219, 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.