#228Thursday, October 17, 2024
Strands answers for October 17, 2024 — “Dream teams” (#228)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for October 17, 2024 (puzzle #228) is FANTASYLEAGUE, a 13-letter answer to the theme "Dream teams". The 5 theme words are DRAFT, MATCHUPS, ROSTER, STANDINGS and WAIVERS.
Where is each answer on the October 17 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #228 is 5 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRAFT | 5 | row 5, column 6 | row 7, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| MATCHUPS | 8 | row 2, column 5 | row 3, column 1 | right to left |
| ROSTER | 6 | row 6, column 1 | row 8, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| STANDINGS | 9 | row 1, column 6 | row 2, column 1 | right to left |
| WAIVERS | 7 | row 6, column 3 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| FANTASYLEAGUE | 13 | row 5, column 1 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the October 17 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 — 13 letters5 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 G-N-I-N-A-S, row 2 reads S-C-T-D-M-T, row 3 reads S-U-H-A-U-E, row 4 reads P-A-T-G-A-E, row 5 reads F-N-A-S-L-D, row 6 reads R-O-W-Y-R-F, row 7 reads T-S-A-V-A-T, and row 8 reads E-R-I-E-R-S.
How hard was the October 17 Strands puzzle?
Strands #228 scores hard on our difficulty index, harder than 98% 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 October 17 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #228 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 October 17 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on October 17, 2024?
The Strands clue for October 17, 2024 is “Dream teams”, on puzzle #228. It is answered by the spangram FANTASYLEAGUE, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on October 17, 2024?
The 5 Strands theme words for October 17, 2024 are DRAFT, MATCHUPS, ROSTER, STANDINGS and WAIVERS, plus the spangram FANTASYLEAGUE.
What was the big word in the October 17, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for October 17, 2024 is FANTASYLEAGUE, 13 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 “Dream teams” mean?
The Strands theme “Dream teams” for October 17, 2024 means FANTASYLEAGUE — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands October 17, 2024?
Strands puzzle #228 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the October 17, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #228 rates hard on a computed index, harder than 98% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on October 17, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Thursday, October 17, 2024 is #228, 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 October 2024, part of the full Strands archive.