#260Monday, November 18, 2024
Strands answers for November 18, 2024 — “Coming up for air” (#260)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for November 18, 2024 (puzzle #260) is MARINEMAMMALS, a 13-letter answer to the theme "Coming up for air". The 6 theme words are DOLPHIN, MANATEE, NARWHAL, ORCA, SEAL and WALRUS.
Where is each answer on the November 18 Strands board?
Strands #260 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram MARINEMAMMALS.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOLPHIN | 7 | row 3, column 4 | row 4, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| MANATEE | 7 | row 6, column 1 | row 6, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| NARWHAL | 7 | row 5, column 6 | row 3, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| ORCA | 4 | row 5, column 2 | row 4, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SEAL | 4 | row 2, column 5 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| WALRUS | 6 | row 7, column 5 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| MARINEMAMMALS | 13 | row 8, column 6 | row 1, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the November 18 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #260 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 13 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 S-A-M-L-P-E, row 2 reads L-M-O-H-S-A, row 3 reads A-M-L-D-I-L, row 4 reads A-R-E-A-W-N, row 5 reads C-O-N-H-R-N, row 6 reads M-E-L-I-R-A, row 7 reads A-E-R-A-W-A, and row 8 reads N-A-T-U-S-M.
How hard was the November 18 Strands puzzle?
Strands #260 scores hard on our difficulty index, harder than 83% 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 November 18 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #260 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 November 18 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on November 18, 2024?
The Strands clue for November 18, 2024 is “Coming up for air”, on puzzle #260. It is answered by the spangram MARINEMAMMALS, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on November 18, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for November 18, 2024 are DOLPHIN, MANATEE, NARWHAL, ORCA, SEAL and WALRUS, plus the spangram MARINEMAMMALS.
What was the big word in the November 18, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for November 18, 2024 is MARINEMAMMALS, 13 letters long, running from row 8, column 6 to row 1, column 1. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Coming up for air” mean?
The Strands theme “Coming up for air” for November 18, 2024 means MARINEMAMMALS — 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 November 18, 2024?
Strands puzzle #260 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the November 18, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #260 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 83% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on November 18, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, November 18, 2024 is #260, 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 November 2024, part of the full Strands archive.