#570Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Strands answers for September 24, 2025 — “Lip service” (#570)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for September 24, 2025 (puzzle #570) is EXPRESSIONS, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Lip service". The 8 theme words are FROWN, GAPE, GRIN, POUT, SCOWL, SMILE, SMIRK and SNEER.
Where is each answer on the September 24 Strands board?
Strands #570 resolves to these 8 theme words plus the spangram EXPRESSIONS.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FROWN | 5 | row 7, column 2 | row 6, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| GAPE | 4 | row 6, column 5 | row 5, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| GRIN | 4 | row 1, column 6 | row 2, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| POUT | 4 | row 7, column 5 | row 7, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| SCOWL | 5 | row 4, column 6 | row 2, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| SMILE | 5 | row 3, column 3 | row 1, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SMIRK | 5 | row 8, column 1 | row 7, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SNEER | 5 | row 4, column 1 | row 4, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| EXPRESSIONS | 11 | row 1, column 4 | row 8, column 4 | top to bottom |
What did the September 24 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #570 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 11 letters8 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 E-L-X-E-R-G, row 2 reads I-M-P-N-I-L, row 3 reads N-E-S-R-W-C, row 4 reads S-E-R-E-O-S, row 5 reads W-O-S-S-A-E, row 6 reads N-R-I-O-G-P, row 7 reads M-F-K-N-P-T, and row 8 reads S-I-R-S-O-U.
How hard was the September 24 Strands puzzle?
Strands #570 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 70% 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 September 24 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #570 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 24 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on September 24, 2025?
The Strands clue for September 24, 2025 is “Lip service”, on puzzle #570. It is answered by the spangram EXPRESSIONS, and all 8 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on September 24, 2025?
The 8 Strands theme words for September 24, 2025 are FROWN, GAPE, GRIN, POUT, SCOWL, SMILE, SMIRK and SNEER, plus the spangram EXPRESSIONS.
What was the big word in the September 24, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for September 24, 2025 is EXPRESSIONS, 11 letters long, running from row 1, column 4 to row 8, 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 “Lip service” mean?
The Strands theme “Lip service” for September 24, 2025 means EXPRESSIONS — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 8 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands September 24, 2025?
Strands puzzle #570 has 8 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the September 24, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #570 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 70% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on September 24, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 is #570, 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 2025, part of the full Strands archive.