#126Sunday, July 7, 2024
Strands answers for July 7, 2024 — “Not just black and white” (#126)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for July 7, 2024 (puzzle #126) is GRAYSCALE, a 9-letter answer to the theme "Not just black and white". The 6 theme words are CHARCOAL, FLINT, GRAPHITE, PLATINUM, SLATE and STEEL.
Where is each answer on the July 7 Strands board?
Here are all 6 theme words from the July 7, 2024 Strands puzzle, with the spangram last.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHARCOAL | 8 | row 7, column 3 | row 7, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| FLINT | 5 | row 2, column 4 | row 1, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| GRAPHITE | 8 | row 5, column 2 | row 1, column 1 | bottom to top |
| PLATINUM | 8 | row 4, column 5 | row 6, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| SLATE | 5 | row 8, column 3 | row 8, column 6 | left to right |
| STEEL | 5 | row 3, column 6 | row 2, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| GRAYSCALE | 9 | row 4, column 6 | row 5, column 1 | right to left |
What did the July 7 Strands grid look like?
Every letter below appears in exactly one answer — the 7 words tile all 48 cells of the July 7, 2024 grid.
Spangram — 9 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 E-T-N-I-E-E, row 2 reads T-H-L-F-T-L, row 3 reads I-P-S-Y-R-S, row 4 reads R-A-C-A-P-G, row 5 reads E-G-A-L-A-R, row 6 reads M-L-A-H-C-O, row 7 reads U-T-C-A-L-A, and row 8 reads N-I-S-L-T-E.
How hard was the July 7 Strands puzzle?
Measured against the full archive, the July 7, 2024 puzzle lands in the above average range — above 69% of all Strands puzzles.
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 7 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #126 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 July 7 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on July 7, 2024?
The Strands clue for July 7, 2024 is “Not just black and white”, on puzzle #126. It is answered by the spangram GRAYSCALE, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on July 7, 2024?
The 6 Strands theme words for July 7, 2024 are CHARCOAL, FLINT, GRAPHITE, PLATINUM, SLATE and STEEL, plus the spangram GRAYSCALE.
What was the big word in the July 7, 2024 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for July 7, 2024 is GRAYSCALE, 9 letters long, running from row 4, column 6 to row 5, column 1. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Not just black and white” mean?
The Strands theme “Not just black and white” for July 7, 2024 means GRAYSCALE — 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 7, 2024?
Strands puzzle #126 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the July 7, 2024 Strands puzzle?
Strands #126 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 69% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on July 7, 2024?
The Strands puzzle published on Sunday, July 7, 2024 is #126, 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.