NYT Connections for Sunday, July 19, 2026, puzzle #1134, mixes electrical components, digital commands, household actions and familiar expressions. Several words can work as verbs in more than one context, making the first believable group especially dangerous.
The main traps involve RELAY, SWITCH, CONNECT and JOIN, which appear to describe communication or linking. Another tempting set combines water-related actions, while the purple category depends on adding the same word to four unrelated-looking entries.
Use the first set of hints for a gentle nudge. The stronger clues become more revealing, while all four answers remain hidden farther down the page.
NYT Connections hints for July 19
- Yellow: Components used to control or protect electrical circuits.
- Green: Commands associated with linking devices, accounts or digital services.
- Blue: Actions performed by the same bathroom fixture.
- Purple: Add the same body-related word after every answer.
Stronger Yellow clue: One component interrupts excessive current, while another can open or close a circuit.
Stronger Green clue: Think about Bluetooth setup, networks, online sessions and shared data.
Stronger Blue clue: Water moves, empties and returns during one operating cycle.
Stronger Purple clue: The missing four-letter word is found on the front of the head.
Common wrong paths in puzzle #1134
Communication trap: CONNECT, JOIN and RELAY all suggest transferring or sharing information. RELAY does not belong with the digital commands because its intended meaning is an electrical component.
Action-word trap: SWITCH, PAIR and SYNC can all describe changing or coordinating something. SWITCH belongs with the circuit components, while PAIR and SYNC are digital setup commands.
Water trap: DRAIN, FLUSH, REFILL and SWIRL could apply to several plumbing systems. The intended connection is narrower: all four describe actions associated with a toilet.
Phrase trap: GAME and POKER suggest entertainment, while LONG and STRAIGHT look like descriptions. Their connection appears only after the same word is added to each one.
Today’s NYT Connections answers
Reveal the Yellow Group
Category: Circuit components
Answers: BREAKER, FUSE, RELAY, SWITCH
These components protect, control or redirect the flow of electricity. A breaker interrupts a circuit during an overload, while a fuse breaks the circuit when excessive current passes through it.
A relay uses an electrical signal to control another circuit, and a switch opens, closes or changes a connection.
Best solving anchor: FUSE is the most specific entry. Once it is paired with BREAKER, RELAY and SWITCH become easier to confirm.
Reveal the Green Group
Category: Digital coupling verbs
Answers: CONNECT, JOIN, PAIR, SYNC
Each word can describe establishing or maintaining a digital connection. Users connect to a network, join an online session, pair a wireless accessory and sync information across devices.
Main trap: CONNECT and JOIN also describe physical or social relationships, making the category appear broader than it is.
Best solving anchor: PAIR is strongly associated with Bluetooth and wireless-device setup.
Reveal the Blue Group
Category: Things a toilet does
Answers: DRAIN, FLUSH, REFILL, SWIRL
The answers describe actions during a toilet’s operating cycle. Water swirls and drains during a flush, then the tank or bowl refills for the next use.
Why it caused mistakes: The words initially look like broad plumbing or water-motion terms rather than actions connected to one particular fixture.
Best solving anchor: FLUSH points to the intended category more directly than the other three answers.
Reveal the Purple Group
Category: ____ FACE expressions
Answers: GAME, LONG, POKER, STRAIGHT
Completed phrases: GAME FACE, LONG FACE, POKER FACE and STRAIGHT FACE.
A game face is a determined expression, a long face suggests sadness, a poker face conceals emotion and a straight face shows no visible amusement.
Main trap: The four words have no obvious shared meaning when read alone. POKER FACE is probably the strongest phrase for unlocking the category.
What made Connections #1134 difficult?
Today’s puzzle rewarded players who rejected broad categories in favor of more precise ones. A group such as “communication verbs” or “water actions” looked plausible, but it did not explain all four answers cleanly.
The most reliable solving order was to identify the electrical components first using FUSE and BREAKER. PAIR then helped reveal the digital commands, while FLUSH exposed the bathroom category. The remaining four entries completed the expressions ending in FACE.
After completing the puzzle, registered New York Times Games players may be able to review statistics such as games played, win rate, perfect solves and current streak.
Players can attempt the official puzzle and review post-game results on the New York Times Connections page.
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