#204Monday, September 23, 2024
Strands answers for September 23, 2024 — “Gnaw-it-alls” (#204)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for September 23, 2024 (puzzle #204) is RODENTS, a 7-letter answer to the theme "Gnaw-it-alls". The 5 theme words are CHINCHILLA, HAMSTER, MUSKRAT, PORCUPINE and SQUIRREL.
Where is each answer on the September 23 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #204 is 5 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHINCHILLA | 10 | row 1, column 6 | row 2, column 3 | right to left |
| HAMSTER | 7 | row 5, column 6 | row 8, column 5 | top to bottom |
| MUSKRAT | 7 | row 7, column 1 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| PORCUPINE | 9 | row 4, column 1 | row 1, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| SQUIRREL | 8 | row 5, column 4 | row 6, column 1 | right to left |
| RODENTS | 7 | row 4, column 6 | row 5, column 1 | right to left |
What did the September 23 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #204 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 7 letters5 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 P-I-N-E-H-C, row 2 reads R-U-A-L-N-I, row 3 reads O-C-E-L-H-C, row 4 reads P-N-Q-D-I-R, row 5 reads S-T-U-S-O-H, row 6 reads L-E-R-I-A-M, row 7 reads M-R-T-A-S-T, and row 8 reads U-S-K-R-R-E.
How hard was the September 23 Strands puzzle?
The difficulty index rates puzzle #204 as hard: it sits at the 89th 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 September 23 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #204 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 September 23 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on September 23, 2024?
The Strands clue for September 23, 2024 is “Gnaw-it-alls”, on puzzle #204. It is answered by the spangram RODENTS, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on September 23, 2024?
The 5 Strands theme words for September 23, 2024 are CHINCHILLA, HAMSTER, MUSKRAT, PORCUPINE and SQUIRREL, plus the spangram RODENTS.
What was the big word in the September 23, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for September 23, 2024 is RODENTS, 7 letters long, running from row 4, column 6 to row 5, column 1. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Gnaw-it-alls” mean?
The Strands theme “Gnaw-it-alls” for September 23, 2024 means RODENTS — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands September 23, 2024?
Strands puzzle #204 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the September 23, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #204 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 89% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on September 23, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, September 23, 2024 is #204, 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 September 2024, part of the full Strands archive.