Today’s NYT Connections puzzle for July 26, 2026, offers a fairly manageable mix of familiar phrases, older technology and clever wordplay. The four categories cover baby milestones, outdated consumer devices, expressions for rain and different meanings associated with “shell.”
The biggest distractions involve BLACKBERRY, APRIL SHOWERS and CARAPACE. Their everyday meanings may suggest fruit, seasons or animals, but each belongs to a more specific group in Connections #1141.
NYT Connections hints for July 26
- Yellow: Important developmental steps commonly reached during infancy.
- Green: Popular electronic products that have largely been replaced by newer technology.
- Blue: Different phrases people use when talking about rainy conditions.
- Purple: Each answer can be described using the same word, but in a completely different context.
Main trap: BLACKBERRY may look like it belongs in a fruit category, but it refers to the once-popular mobile phone brand in today’s puzzle.
Weather trap: APRIL SHOWERS and SCOTCH MIST provide a clear route toward one category, but LIQUID SUNSHINE may be less obvious because it sounds positive despite referring to rain.
Stronger clue: The purple group includes an animal covering, a fuel retailer, part of a baked item and a type of boat. Think about the single word that can connect all four.
Today’s NYT Connections answers
Reveal the Yellow Group
Category: Baby milestones
Answers: CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER, SOLID FOOD
These are familiar developmental milestones associated with babies. They cover movement, communication and the transition to eating food beyond milk or formula.
Reveal the Green Group
Category: Outmoded consumer tech
Answers: BLACKBERRY, DISCMAN, DVD PLAYER, PLASMA TV
All four were once widely used consumer technology products but have largely been displaced by smartphones, streaming services and newer display technology.
Reveal the Blue Group
Category: Expressions for rain
Answers: APRIL SHOWERS, LIQUID SUNSHINE, SCOTCH MIST, WET WEATHER
Each answer is an expression associated with rain. LIQUID SUNSHINE is the most playful phrase, while SCOTCH MIST traditionally describes light rain or drizzle.
Reveal the Purple Group
Category: What “shell” might refer to
Answers: CARAPACE, GAS STATION, PASTRY CRUST, ROWING BOAT
A shell can mean a protective carapace, a Shell-branded gas station, the outer crust of a pastry or a narrow rowing boat used in racing.
Why Connections #1141 could be misleading: Several answers carry strong secondary associations. BLACKBERRY suggests fruit, CARAPACE points toward animals, and APRIL SHOWERS may encourage players to search for seasonal phrases.
The purple category requires the biggest conceptual jump because the four answers do not directly resemble one another. The connection only becomes clear after considering the different meanings and uses of the word “shell.”
Today’s solving lesson: When an answer has a familiar brand name or multiple meanings, avoid locking it into the first category that comes to mind. Confirm that all four words share the same precise relationship before submitting a group.
Players can attempt the official daily puzzle and review their results on the New York Times Connections page.
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