Stuck on today’s Strands? Puzzle #609 (Nov 2) leans into running lore with a clean, marathon-themed grid. If you want to jump straight into the game, you can play Strands on the New York Times site at nytimes.com/games/strands.

Quick facts for Strands #609

Item Detail
Puzzle number #609
Date Sunday, November 2, 2025
Theme “Go the distance”
Difficulty (NYT tester rating) Easy
Spangram letters 8
Spangram path Runs from the bottom of the grid to the top
Total theme words 6 theme words + 1 spangram

Answers for NYT Strands today (#609)

Type Word
Theme word START
Theme word PACE
Theme word FINISH
Theme word RUNNER
Theme word HYDRATION
Theme word TIMEKEEPER
Spangram MARATHON

Spangram hint and placement

The spangram is MARATHON. It spans eight letters and connects opposite sides of the board, starting near the bottom and winding up to the top. If you’re unsure where to thread it, trace from an M at the lower edge and look for a path that stays true to the letter order without backtracking.

How to unlock in‑game hints (quick refresher)

  • Find any three non-theme words of four letters or more to earn one theme hint.
  • Repeat as needed until the board starts to open up.
  • Example filler words that work for this grid include: STAR, DRAMA, RENT, STONE, TRAIN, MARKET. Any valid 4+ letter words you spot will count.

Tip: With a theme like marathoning, look for race structure (START, FINISH), people and roles (RUNNER, TIMEKEEPER), and essentials (PACE, HYDRATION) to break the grid apart quickly.

That’s today’s set. The puzzle refreshes daily at midnight in your time zone—keep the streak alive tomorrow.