#299Friday, December 27, 2024
Strands answers for December 27, 2024 — “Back in style” (#299)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for December 27, 2024 (puzzle #299) is EIGHTIES, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Back in style". The 6 theme words are JUMPSUIT, MULLET, NEON, PERM, SPANDEX and WINDBREAKER.
Where is each answer on the December 27 Strands board?
Strands #299 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram EIGHTIES.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JUMPSUIT | 8 | row 4, column 4 | row 6, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| MULLET | 6 | row 5, column 2 | row 8, column 1 | top to bottom |
| NEON | 4 | row 7, column 3 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| PERM | 4 | row 7, column 6 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| SPANDEX | 7 | row 2, column 5 | row 3, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| WINDBREAKER | 11 | row 4, column 2 | row 1, column 1 | bottom to top |
| EIGHTIES | 8 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 4 | top to bottom |
What did the December 27 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 — 8 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 R-E-E-P-A-N, row 2 reads K-E-R-I-S-D, row 3 reads A-D-B-G-X-E, row 4 reads N-W-H-J-P-S, row 5 reads I-M-T-U-M-U, row 6 reads L-L-U-I-T-I, row 7 reads E-O-N-E-R-P, and row 8 reads T-E-N-S-M-E.
How hard was the December 27 Strands puzzle?
Strands #299 scores hard on our difficulty index, harder than 81% 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 27 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #299 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 December 27 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on December 27, 2024?
The Strands clue for December 27, 2024 is “Back in style”, on puzzle #299. It is answered by the spangram EIGHTIES, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on December 27, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for December 27, 2024 are JUMPSUIT, MULLET, NEON, PERM, SPANDEX and WINDBREAKER, plus the spangram EIGHTIES.
What was the big word in the December 27, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for December 27, 2024 is EIGHTIES, 8 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 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 “Back in style” mean?
The Strands theme “Back in style” for December 27, 2024 means EIGHTIES — 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 27, 2024?
Strands puzzle #299 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the December 27, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #299 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 81% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on December 27, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, December 27, 2024 is #299, 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.