July 19’s Letter Boxed puzzle is waiting. Solve it now, then scroll down to verify your words with the NYT-approved solution.
TYH
ZCP
OML
ALCHEMY
Explanation
Let’s break down how the solution works:
Word 1: PROTOZOA
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Starts with P (from side ZCP)
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Uses R (REA), O (OML), T (TYH), O (OML), Z (ZCP), O (OML), A (REA)
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Ends with A, setting up a good connection to the next word
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Valid transition letters without repeating from the same side consecutively
Word 2: ALCHEMY
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Starts with A (from REA), which is the last letter of “PROTOZOA”
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Then uses L (OML), C (ZCP), H (TYH), E (REA), M (OML), Y (TYH)
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Each letter comes from a different side than the one before it
Word Flow
ROTOZOA ➝ ALCHEMY
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Ends with “A” → Starts with “A”
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Together, both words cover all 12 letters around the square once
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No same-side consecutive letter usage, meeting the puzzle rule