#273Sunday, December 1, 2024
Strands answers for December 1, 2024 — “Old hang-ups” (#273)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for December 1, 2024 (puzzle #273) is ROTARYPHONE, a 11-letter answer to the theme "Old hang-ups". The 6 theme words are CRADLE, DIAL, HANDSET, RECEIVER, RINGER and SWITCH.
Where is each answer on the December 1 Strands board?
Strands #273 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram ROTARYPHONE.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRADLE | 6 | row 7, column 3 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| DIAL | 4 | row 5, column 3 | row 5, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| HANDSET | 7 | row 8, column 1 | row 4, column 1 | bottom to top |
| RECEIVER | 8 | row 2, column 1 | row 2, column 4 | left to right |
| RINGER | 6 | row 7, column 5 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| SWITCH | 6 | row 1, column 5 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| ROTARYPHONE | 11 | row 4, column 6 | row 4, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the December 1 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 — 11 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 E-E-V-E-S-W, row 2 reads R-C-I-R-I-T, row 3 reads P-H-O-N-C-H, row 4 reads T-Y-I-A-E-R, row 5 reads E-R-D-L-O-N, row 6 reads N-S-A-T-I-G, row 7 reads A-D-C-D-R-E, and row 8 reads H-R-A-L-E-R.
How hard was the December 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands #273 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 51% 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 December 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #273 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 December 1 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on December 1, 2024?
The Strands clue for December 1, 2024 is “Old hang-ups”, on puzzle #273. It is answered by the spangram ROTARYPHONE, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on December 1, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for December 1, 2024 are CRADLE, DIAL, HANDSET, RECEIVER, RINGER and SWITCH, plus the spangram ROTARYPHONE.
What was the big word in the December 1, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for December 1, 2024 is ROTARYPHONE, 11 letters long, running from row 4, column 6 to row 4, column 5. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Old hang-ups” mean?
The Strands theme “Old hang-ups” for December 1, 2024 means ROTARYPHONE — 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 December 1, 2024?
Strands puzzle #273 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the December 1, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #273 rates average on a computed index, harder than 51% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on December 1, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Sunday, December 1, 2024 is #273, 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 December 2024, part of the full Strands archive.