Looking for a different day?
A new NEW Connections puzzle pops up at midnight every day for your time zone – meaning some people are always playing “today’s game” while others are playing “yesterday’s”. If you’re looking for the Saturday puzzle instead then click here: NEW Connections Hints and Answers for Saturday, July 18 (Game #1133).
Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers into different categories. It can be difficult, so read on if you need Connections tips.
What are you going to do when you’re done? Why, play some more puns of course. I also have daily Strands Hints and Answers and Quordle Hints and Answers articles if you need help with those too, while Marc’s Wordle Today page covers the original viral pun.
SPOILER ALERT: Today’s NYT Connections information is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NEW Connections today (game #1134) – word of the day
Today’s NEW Connections word is…
- SWITCH
- SWIRL
- LONG
- GAME
- POKER
- COUPLE
- RINSE
- JUST
- RELAY
- SYNC
- DRAIN
- FUSE
- CONNECT
- BREAKER
- FILLING
- JOIN
NEW Connections today (game #1134) – tip #1 – group tip
What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Elements of an electric loop
- GREEN: Stick together, technically
- BLUE: What a toilet does
- PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “race”
Need more clues?
We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…
NEW Connections today (game #1134) – tip #2 – group answer
What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: CIRCUIT COMPONENTS
- GREEN: DIGITAL LINKING VERBS
- BLUE: THINGS TOILETS DO
- PURPLE: ____ FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
Okay, the answers are below, so DON’T SCROLL IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NEW Connections today (game #1134) – the answers
The answers to today’s Connections, game #1134, are…
- YELLOW: CIRCUIT COMPONENTS: SWITCH, FUSE, RELAY, CONTACT
- GREEN: DIGITAL COUPLING VERBS: CONNECT, JOIN, PAIR, SYNC
- BLUE: THINGS TOILETS DO: DRAIN, RINSE, FILL, SWIRL
- PURPLE: ____ FACIAL EXPRESSION: PLAY, LONG, POKER, STRAIGHT
- My assessment: Hard
- My score: 1 error
My mistake came in including FUSE instead of SYNC in the group that became DIGITAL COUPLING VERBS. Although I would argue that FUSE could be classified as a linking verb, I attempted this grouping before seeing the far more appropriate CIRCUIT COMPONENTS.
It didn’t matter though, because I managed to score a purple first – largely due to watching POKER and automatically singing Lady Gaga’s debut hit Poker face.
From there, GAME and STRAIGHT automatically followed, as well as the punchline for the only joke I can ever remember: a depressed horse walks into a bar and the bartender asks him “why the long face”?
Meanwhile, THING TOILETTER DO eluded me.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections Answers (Saturday, July 18, 2026, Game #1133)
- YELLOW: COMMITS A BASKETBALL DRESS: CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOAL, TRAVEL
- GREEN: FAITH: ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW
- BLUE: THINGS TRACED IN VIDEO GAMES: HEALTH, LIFE, SCORE, TIME
- PURPLE: WORDS AFTER “POP”: CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, PIE
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games created by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four elements that share something in common, and each group has a different degree of difficulty: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough, and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you technically don’t need to solve the last one, as you’ll be able to answer it by a process of elimination. Also, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It’s a bit more involved than something like Wordle, though, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to let you beat yourself up with tricks. For example, watch out for homophones and other puns that can hide the answers.
It can be played for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
