#242Thursday, October 31, 2024
Strands answers for October 31, 2024 — “Trick or treat!” (#242)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for October 31, 2024 (puzzle #242) is COSTUME, a 7-letter answer to the theme "Trick or treat!". The 7 theme words are CLOWN, GHOST, MUMMY, PIRATE, PRINCESS, PUMPKIN and WITCH.
Where is each answer on the October 31 Strands board?
Strands #242 resolves to these 7 theme words plus the spangram COSTUME.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLOWN | 5 | row 4, column 5 | row 5, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| GHOST | 5 | row 3, column 2 | row 1, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| MUMMY | 5 | row 8, column 1 | row 8, column 4 | left to right |
| PIRATE | 6 | row 1, column 2 | row 4, column 2 | top to bottom |
| PRINCESS | 8 | row 4, column 3 | row 3, column 6 | left to right |
| PUMPKIN | 7 | row 5, column 1 | row 6, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| WITCH | 5 | row 8, column 6 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| COSTUME | 7 | row 4, column 1 | row 5, column 5 | left to right |
What did the October 31 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #242 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 7 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 I-P-S-T-N-C, row 2 reads A-R-O-I-E-S, row 3 reads T-G-H-R-U-S, row 4 reads C-E-P-T-C-M, row 5 reads P-O-S-L-E-N, row 6 reads N-U-M-O-W-H, row 7 reads I-K-P-M-T-C, and row 8 reads M-U-M-Y-I-W.
How hard was the October 31 Strands puzzle?
Strands #242 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 44% 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 31 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #242 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 October 31 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on October 31, 2024?
The Strands clue for October 31, 2024 is “Trick or treat!”, on puzzle #242. It is answered by the spangram COSTUME, and all 7 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on October 31, 2024?
The 7 Strands theme words for October 31, 2024 are CLOWN, GHOST, MUMMY, PIRATE, PRINCESS, PUMPKIN and WITCH, plus the spangram COSTUME.
What was the big word in the October 31, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for October 31, 2024 is COSTUME, 7 letters long, running from row 4, column 1 to row 5, column 5. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Trick or treat!” mean?
The Strands theme “Trick or treat!” for October 31, 2024 means COSTUME — 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 October 31, 2024?
Strands puzzle #242 has 7 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the October 31, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #242 rates average on a computed index, harder than 44% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on October 31, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Thursday, October 31, 2024 is #242, 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.