#159Friday, August 9, 2024
Strands answers for August 9, 2024 — “Back to nature” (#159)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for August 9, 2024 (puzzle #159) is OUTDOORSY, a 9-letter answer to the theme "Back to nature". The 7 theme words are BIRDWATCH, CAMP, FISH, FORAGE, HIKE, STARGAZE and SWIM.
Where is each answer on the August 9 Strands board?
The 7 theme words for Strands on August 9, 2024 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIRDWATCH | 9 | row 5, column 5 | row 6, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| CAMP | 4 | row 6, column 6 | row 7, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| FISH | 4 | row 8, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| FORAGE | 6 | row 4, column 6 | row 2, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| HIKE | 4 | row 1, column 4 | row 3, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| STARGAZE | 8 | row 4, column 1 | row 2, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SWIM | 4 | row 7, column 1 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| OUTDOORSY | 9 | row 5, column 1 | row 5, column 6 | left to right |
What did the August 9 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for August 9, 2024 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 9 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 Z-A-G-H-G-A, row 2 reads E-A-R-I-E-R, row 3 reads T-E-K-O-R-O, row 4 reads S-T-D-O-S-F, row 5 reads O-U-R-I-B-Y, row 6 reads A-W-D-H-A-C, row 7 reads S-T-C-P-M-S, and row 8 reads W-I-M-F-I-H.
How hard was the August 9 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #159 comes out above average, ahead of 57% of them.
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 August 9 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #159 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Shehara Ranasinghe. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the August 9 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on August 9, 2024?
The Strands clue for August 9, 2024 is “Back to nature”, on puzzle #159. It is answered by the spangram OUTDOORSY, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on August 9, 2024?
The 7 Strands theme words for August 9, 2024 are BIRDWATCH, CAMP, FISH, FORAGE, HIKE, STARGAZE and SWIM, plus the spangram OUTDOORSY.
What was the big word in the August 9, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for August 9, 2024 is OUTDOORSY, 9 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 “Back to nature” mean?
The Strands theme “Back to nature” for August 9, 2024 means OUTDOORSY — 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 August 9, 2024?
Strands puzzle #159 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the August 9, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #159 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 57% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on August 9, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, August 9, 2024 is #159, 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 August 2024, part of the full Strands archive.