#17Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Strands answers for March 20, 2024 — “Back and forth” (#17)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for March 20, 2024 (puzzle #17) is PALINDROME, a 10-letter answer to the theme "Back and forth". The 7 theme words are CIVIC, KAYAK, LEVEL, MADAM, NOON, RACECAR and ROTATOR.
Where is each answer on the March 20 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #17 is 7 theme words and one 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIC | 5 | row 3, column 5 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| KAYAK | 5 | row 2, column 2 | row 4, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| LEVEL | 5 | row 5, column 3 | row 6, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| MADAM | 5 | row 7, column 1 | row 7, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| NOON | 4 | row 1, column 4 | row 2, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| RACECAR | 7 | row 7, column 4 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| ROTATOR | 7 | row 1, column 3 | row 5, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| PALINDROME | 10 | row 6, column 1 | row 5, column 6 | left to right |
What did the March 20 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 — 10 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 T-O-R-N-O-O, row 2 reads A-K-Y-I-V-N, row 3 reads T-A-I-A-C-I, row 4 reads O-L-N-K-R-C, row 5 reads R-A-L-D-O-E, row 6 reads P-V-E-L-M-A, row 7 reads M-M-E-R-R-C, and row 8 reads A-D-A-A-C-E.
How hard was the March 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands #17 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 40% 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 March 20 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #17 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 March 20 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on March 20, 2024?
The Strands clue for March 20, 2024 is “Back and forth”, on puzzle #17. It is answered by the spangram PALINDROME, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on March 20, 2024?
The 7 Strands theme words for March 20, 2024 are CIVIC, KAYAK, LEVEL, MADAM, NOON, RACECAR and ROTATOR, plus the spangram PALINDROME.
What was the big word in the March 20, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for March 20, 2024 is PALINDROME, 10 letters long, running from row 6, 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 and forth” mean?
The Strands theme “Back and forth” for March 20, 2024 means PALINDROME — 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 March 20, 2024?
Strands puzzle #17 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the March 20, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #17 rates average on a computed index, harder than 40% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on March 20, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 is #17, 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 March 2024, part of the full Strands archive.