#189Sunday, September 8, 2024
Strands answers for September 8, 2024 — “A royal shade” (#189)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for September 8, 2024 (puzzle #189) is PURPLES, a 7-letter answer to the theme "A royal shade". The 7 theme words are LAVENDER, LILAC, MAGENTA, MAUVE, ORCHID, PLUM and VIOLET.
Where is each answer on the September 8 Strands board?
Strands #189 resolves to these 7 theme words plus the spangram PURPLES.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAVENDER | 8 | row 1, column 1 | row 1, column 6 | left to right |
| LILAC | 5 | row 6, column 4 | row 7, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| MAGENTA | 7 | row 5, column 1 | row 5, column 4 | left to right |
| MAUVE | 5 | row 8, column 3 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| ORCHID | 6 | row 5, column 6 | row 2, column 5 | bottom to top |
| PLUM | 4 | row 1, column 4 | row 2, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| VIOLET | 6 | row 7, column 3 | row 8, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| PURPLES | 7 | row 4, column 1 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the September 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 — 7 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 L-U-L-P-E-R, row 2 reads A-M-N-D-D-I, row 3 reads V-E-R-P-H-C, row 4 reads P-U-E-N-L-R, row 5 reads M-G-T-A-E-O, row 6 reads O-A-I-L-A-S, row 7 reads L-I-V-L-U-C, and row 8 reads T-E-M-A-E-V.
How hard was the September 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands #189 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 69% 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 8 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #189 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the September 8 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on September 8, 2024?
The Strands clue for September 8, 2024 is “A royal shade”, on puzzle #189. It is answered by the spangram PURPLES, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on September 8, 2024?
The 7 Strands theme words for September 8, 2024 are LAVENDER, LILAC, MAGENTA, MAUVE, ORCHID, PLUM and VIOLET, plus the spangram PURPLES.
What was the big word in the September 8, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for September 8, 2024 is PURPLES, 7 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 6, 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 “A royal shade” mean?
The Strands theme “A royal shade” for September 8, 2024 means PURPLES — 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 September 8, 2024?
Strands puzzle #189 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the September 8, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #189 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 69% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on September 8, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Sunday, September 8, 2024 is #189, 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.