NYT Connections hints and answers for July 23. Tips to solve ‘Connections’ #1138. – Mashable

The New York Times released the puzzles and solutions for NYT Connections #1138 on July 23, 2026. Mashable provided hints and answers for the daily word game to assist players in identifying the four groups of four related words required to complete the challenge.

Solving NYT Connections #1138

The July 23 edition of Connections requires players to categorize 16 words into four distinct groups based on shared themes. According to Mashable, the game utilizes a tiered difficulty system, ranging from the most straightforward category, labeled yellow, to the most complex, labeled purple.

Players must identify these connections without exhausting their four allotted mistakes. Mashable’s guidance for this specific puzzle focuses on identifying overlapping meanings and red herrings designed to mislead the user.

Puzzle Categories and Hints

The puzzle for July 23 incorporates varying levels of linguistic abstraction. Mashable’s breakdown suggests that players look for common synonyms in the yellow category and more conceptual or structural links in the purple category.

The game’s mechanics rely on the player’s ability to distinguish between words that appear related on the surface but belong to different thematic groups. Mashable recommends testing small groups of words before committing to a final selection to avoid losing lives on deceptive categories.

Game Mechanics and Strategy

NYT Connections is a daily digital puzzle that tests vocabulary and lateral thinking. The objective is to find four groups of four words that share a common thread. Each correct group is highlighted in a specific color: yellow, green, blue, and purple.

The yellow group typically represents the most obvious connection, while the purple group often involves wordplay, puns, or more obscure associations. Mashable notes that the difficulty often stems from words that could logically fit into multiple categories, forcing players to use a process of elimination.

According to the game’s rules, a single incorrect guess reduces the remaining attempts. Once four mistakes are made, the game ends, and the remaining solutions are revealed.