#288Monday, December 16, 2024
Strands answers for December 16, 2024 — “Crossed words” (#288)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for December 16, 2024 (puzzle #288) is PORTMANTEAUX, a 12-letter answer to the theme "Crossed words". The 6 theme words are ANKLET, ATHLEISURE, BRUNCH, SMOG, SPORK and ZORSE.
Where is each answer on the December 16 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #288 is 6 theme words and one spangram.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANKLET | 6 | row 8, column 2 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| ATHLEISURE | 10 | row 3, column 6 | row 1, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| BRUNCH | 6 | row 6, column 5 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| SMOG | 4 | row 3, column 1 | row 6, column 2 | top to bottom |
| SPORK | 5 | row 6, column 4 | row 4, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| ZORSE | 5 | row 2, column 1 | row 2, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| PORTMANTEAUX | 12 | row 1, column 4 | row 8, column 4 | top to bottom |
What did the December 16 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 — 12 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 O-R-S-P-S-E, row 2 reads Z-E-O-I-U-R, row 3 reads S-R-E-H-T-A, row 4 reads M-T-L-N-K-R, row 5 reads O-M-A-T-P-O, row 6 reads L-G-E-S-B-R, row 7 reads K-E-A-U-H-U, and row 8 reads N-A-T-X-C-N.
How hard was the December 16 Strands puzzle?
The difficulty index rates puzzle #288 as above average: it sits at the 63th 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 December 16 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #288 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Heidi Erwin. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the December 16 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on December 16, 2024?
The Strands clue for December 16, 2024 is “Crossed words”, on puzzle #288. It is answered by the spangram PORTMANTEAUX, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on December 16, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for December 16, 2024 are ANKLET, ATHLEISURE, BRUNCH, SMOG, SPORK and ZORSE, plus the spangram PORTMANTEAUX.
What was the big word in the December 16, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for December 16, 2024 is PORTMANTEAUX, 12 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 “Crossed words” mean?
The Strands theme “Crossed words” for December 16, 2024 means PORTMANTEAUX — 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 16, 2024?
Strands puzzle #288 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the December 16, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #288 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 63% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on December 16, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, December 16, 2024 is #288, 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.