NYT Connections for Monday, July 20, 2026, puzzle #1135, combines announcement verbs, facial descriptions, opportunity metaphors and a hidden-word pattern. Several entries appear to fit obvious sound or technology groups, but those first impressions can lead to mistakes.
The biggest traps involve BLARE, SOUND and TRUMPET, which look like a noise category, and BUTTON and WINDOW, which may suggest computer controls. The purple group is the hardest because the connection depends on the beginnings of the words rather than their meanings.
NYT Connections hints for July 20
- Yellow: Verbs meaning to announce or make something widely known.
- Green: Different descriptions of the shape or profile of a facial feature.
- Blue: Words used in familiar expressions about possibility, fresh starts or future opportunities.
- Purple: A type of drink is hidden at the beginning of each answer.
Stronger Yellow clue: Think of verbs related to proclaiming news, warnings or achievements.
Stronger Green clue: The shared facial feature can be button-shaped, straight, short or curved upward.
Stronger Blue clue: Complete phrases such as “the world is your ___” and “a ___ of opportunity.”
Stronger Purple clue: Look for ALE, MEAD, PORT and SAKE at the starts of longer words.
Common wrong path: BLARE, SOUND and TRUMPET all relate to noise, but the intended category is more precise. Each can also function as a verb meaning to announce or proclaim.
Another trap: BUTTON and WINDOW may appear to belong with computer-interface terms. BUTTON instead describes a nose shape, while WINDOW belongs in a metaphor about opportunity.
Blue-group trap: BLANK PAGE, HORIZON and WINDOW can all be things someone looks at, but their real connection is figurative rather than visual.
Purple-group trap: ALEXA, MEADOW, PORTOBELLO and SAKES have unrelated definitions. Their connection appears only when the opening letters are examined.
Today’s NYT Connections answers
Reveal the Yellow Group
Category: Proclaim
Answers: BLARE, HERALD, SOUND, TRUMPET
Each word can be used as a verb meaning to announce or make something publicly known. A person may blare news, herald a change, sound a warning or trumpet an achievement.
Why it was tricky: BLARE, SOUND and TRUMPET form an obvious sound-related trio, which can distract from the more precise shared meaning.
Best solving anchor: HERALD is the strongest clue because its meaning as “announce” points directly to the intended category.
Reveal the Green Group
Category: Kinds of noses
Answers: BUTTON, GREEK, SKI JUMP, SNUB
A button nose is small and rounded. A Greek nose usually has a straight profile, a ski-jump nose curves upward and a snub nose is short with a slightly raised tip.
Why it was tricky: BUTTON and SKI JUMP have strong meanings outside facial descriptions, while GREEK may suggest language, culture or geography.
Best solving anchor: SNUB is strongly associated with a nose shape, making it the most useful starting point.
Reveal the Blue Group
Category: Used in metaphors for opportunity
Answers: BLANK PAGE, HORIZON, OYSTER, WINDOW
A blank page represents a fresh start. Possibilities may appear on the horizon, the world can be your oyster and a window of opportunity can open or close.
Why it was tricky: The answers do not share a literal meaning. The connection depends on recognising the larger expressions in which they appear.
Best solving anchor: OYSTER is the clearest entry because “the world is your oyster” is a familiar expression about freedom and possibility.
Reveal the Purple Group
Category: Starting with fermented beverages
Answers: ALEXA, MEADOW, PORTOBELLO, SAKES
- ALEXA begins with ALE.
- MEADOW begins with MEAD.
- PORTOBELLO begins with PORT.
- SAKES begins with SAKE.
Ale, mead, port and sake are fermented alcoholic drinks hidden at the beginning of the four answers.
Why it was tricky: The full words have no shared subject. Players must ignore their definitions and inspect their spelling instead.
Best solving anchor: ALEXA is useful because ALE is easy to spot at the beginning of the word.
Solving lesson: When a group contains only three convincing words, look for a more precise shared meaning. Connections often uses familiar words in less obvious grammatical, figurative or spelling-based ways.
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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