#509Friday, July 25, 2025
Strands answers for July 25, 2025 — “Step to it!” (#509)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for July 25, 2025 (puzzle #509) is DANCECLASS, a 10-letter answer to the theme "Step to it!". The 5 theme words are CHOREOGRAPHY, COSTUME, MUSIC, RECITAL and TEACHER.
Where is each answer on the July 25 Strands board?
Strands #509 resolves to these 5 theme words plus the spangram DANCECLASS.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHOREOGRAPHY | 12 | row 5, column 2 | row 6, column 5 | left to right |
| COSTUME | 7 | row 4, column 6 | row 1, column 5 | bottom to top |
| MUSIC | 5 | row 6, column 4 | row 8, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| RECITAL | 7 | row 1, column 4 | row 5, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| TEACHER | 7 | row 3, column 2 | row 1, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| DANCECLASS | 10 | row 5, column 1 | row 8, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the July 25 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 — 10 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 E-R-C-R-E-M, row 2 reads C-H-I-E-U-S, row 3 reads A-T-N-T-T-O, row 4 reads E-A-P-C-A-C, row 5 reads D-C-A-H-E-L, row 6 reads H-G-R-M-Y-C, row 7 reads O-O-S-U-S-L, and row 8 reads R-E-I-C-S-A.
How hard was the July 25 Strands puzzle?
Strands #509 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 60% 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 July 25 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #509 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 25 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on July 25, 2025?
The Strands clue for July 25, 2025 is “Step to it!”, on puzzle #509. It is answered by the spangram DANCECLASS, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on July 25, 2025?
The 5 Strands theme words for July 25, 2025 are CHOREOGRAPHY, COSTUME, MUSIC, RECITAL and TEACHER, plus the spangram DANCECLASS.
What was the big word in the July 25, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for July 25, 2025 is DANCECLASS, 10 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 8, 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 “Step to it!” mean?
The Strands theme “Step to it!” for July 25, 2025 means DANCECLASS — 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 July 25, 2025?
Strands puzzle #509 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the July 25, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #509 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 60% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on July 25, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, July 25, 2025 is #509, 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 2025, part of the full Strands archive.