#120Monday, July 1, 2024
Strands answers for July 1, 2024 — “We've got the beat” (#120)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for July 1, 2024 (puzzle #120) is PERCUSSION, a 10-letter answer to the theme "We've got the beat". The 6 theme words are CYMBAL, DRUM, GONG, RATTLE, TAMBOURINE and TRIANGLE.
Where is each answer on the July 1 Strands board?
The 6 theme words for Strands on July 1, 2024 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CYMBAL | 6 | row 1, column 4 | row 2, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| DRUM | 4 | row 1, column 2 | row 2, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| GONG | 4 | row 3, column 5 | row 6, column 4 | top to bottom |
| RATTLE | 6 | row 5, column 3 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| TAMBOURINE | 10 | row 8, column 4 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| TRIANGLE | 8 | row 3, column 2 | row 4, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| PERCUSSION | 10 | row 1, column 3 | row 8, column 3 | top to bottom |
What did the July 1 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for July 1, 2024 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 10 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 R-D-P-C-Y-M, row 2 reads U-M-E-L-A-B, row 3 reads R-T-R-C-G-E, row 4 reads I-L-E-U-O-N, row 5 reads A-G-R-S-N-I, row 6 reads N-A-S-G-U-R, row 7 reads E-T-I-O-O-B, and row 8 reads L-T-N-T-A-M.
How hard was the July 1 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #120 comes out easy, ahead of 18% of them.
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 July 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #120 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the July 1 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on July 1, 2024?
The Strands clue for July 1, 2024 is “We've got the beat”, on puzzle #120. It is answered by the spangram PERCUSSION, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on July 1, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for July 1, 2024 are CYMBAL, DRUM, GONG, RATTLE, TAMBOURINE and TRIANGLE, plus the spangram PERCUSSION.
What was the big word in the July 1, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for July 1, 2024 is PERCUSSION, 10 letters long, running from row 1, column 3 to row 8, column 3. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “We've got the beat” mean?
The Strands theme “We've got the beat” for July 1, 2024 means PERCUSSION — 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 July 1, 2024?
Strands puzzle #120 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the July 1, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #120 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 18% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on July 1, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, July 1, 2024 is #120, 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 July 2024, part of the full Strands archive.