#268Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Strands answers for November 26, 2024 — “Open-and-shut case” (#268)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for November 26, 2024 (puzzle #268) is HANDBAGS, a 8-letter answer to the theme "Open-and-shut case". The 6 theme words are BARREL, BUCKET, CROSSBODY, DUFFEL, MESSENGER and TOTE.
Where is each answer on the November 26 Strands board?
Strands #268 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram HANDBAGS.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BARREL | 6 | row 2, column 2 | row 4, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| BUCKET | 6 | row 6, column 5 | row 5, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| CROSSBODY | 9 | row 7, column 4 | row 6, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| DUFFEL | 6 | row 7, column 1 | row 4, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| MESSENGER | 9 | row 2, column 3 | row 2, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| TOTE | 4 | row 7, column 5 | row 7, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| HANDBAGS | 8 | row 5, column 1 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the November 26 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #268 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
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 A-E-S-S-E-N, row 2 reads R-B-M-R-E-G, row 3 reads E-R-N-D-G-S, row 4 reads L-A-L-B-A-K, row 5 reads H-F-E-T-E-C, row 6 reads U-O-F-Y-B-U, row 7 reads D-B-D-C-T-E, and row 8 reads S-S-O-R-T-O.
How hard was the November 26 Strands puzzle?
Strands #268 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 68% 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 26 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #268 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Shehara Ranasinghe. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the November 26 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on November 26, 2024?
The Strands clue for November 26, 2024 is “Open-and-shut case”, on puzzle #268. It is answered by the spangram HANDBAGS, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on November 26, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for November 26, 2024 are BARREL, BUCKET, CROSSBODY, DUFFEL, MESSENGER and TOTE, plus the spangram HANDBAGS.
What was the big word in the November 26, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for November 26, 2024 is HANDBAGS, 8 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 3, 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 “Open-and-shut case” mean?
The Strands theme “Open-and-shut case” for November 26, 2024 means HANDBAGS — 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 26, 2024?
Strands puzzle #268 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the November 26, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #268 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 68% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on November 26, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 is #268, 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.