#512Monday, July 28, 2025
Strands answers for July 28, 2025 — “Inch by inch, row by row” (#512)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for July 28, 2025 (puzzle #512) is VEGETABLEGARDEN, a 15-letter answer to the theme "Inch by inch, row by row". The 6 theme words are BLOSSOM, GROW, HARVEST, RIPEN, SEED and SPROUT.
Where is each answer on the July 28 Strands board?
Strands #512 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram VEGETABLEGARDEN.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLOSSOM | 7 | row 5, column 1 | row 1, column 1 | bottom to top |
| GROW | 4 | row 4, column 6 | row 1, column 6 | bottom to top |
| HARVEST | 7 | row 2, column 4 | row 1, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| RIPEN | 5 | row 3, column 2 | row 3, column 5 | left to right |
| SEED | 4 | row 4, column 3 | row 7, column 2 | top to bottom |
| SPROUT | 6 | row 4, column 5 | row 7, column 5 | top to bottom |
| VEGETABLEGARDEN | 15 | row 6, column 1 | row 7, column 6 | left to right |
What did the July 28 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #512 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 15 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 M-O-A-S-T-W, row 2 reads S-S-R-H-E-O, row 3 reads O-R-P-V-N-R, row 4 reads L-I-S-E-S-G, row 5 reads B-E-L-E-R-P, row 6 reads V-E-B-G-U-O, row 7 reads E-D-A-A-T-N, and row 8 reads G-E-T-R-D-E.
How hard was the July 28 Strands puzzle?
Strands #512 scores average on our difficulty index, harder than 30% 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 28 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #512 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Sam Corbin. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the July 28 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on July 28, 2025?
The Strands clue for July 28, 2025 is “Inch by inch, row by row”, on puzzle #512. It is answered by the spangram VEGETABLEGARDEN, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on July 28, 2025?
The 6 Strands theme words for July 28, 2025 are BLOSSOM, GROW, HARVEST, RIPEN, SEED and SPROUT, plus the spangram VEGETABLEGARDEN.
What was the big word in the July 28, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for July 28, 2025 is VEGETABLEGARDEN, 15 letters long, running from row 6, column 1 to row 7, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Inch by inch, row by row” mean?
The Strands theme “Inch by inch, row by row” for July 28, 2025 means VEGETABLEGARDEN — 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 28, 2025?
Strands puzzle #512 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the July 28, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #512 rates average on a computed index, harder than 30% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on July 28, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, July 28, 2025 is #512, 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.