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Verified archive for July 4, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1119

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 4, 2026

Connections puzzle #1119 for July 4, 2026 pairs a direct poetry category with persistence verbs, tropical drink names, and four familiar phrases beginning with the same word.

Guide editorMaya BrooksSenior Editor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Group 1Category hidden
Group 2Category hidden
Group 3Category hidden
Group 4Category hidden

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

Today’s puzzle explained

July 4 Connections overview

The cleanest route begins with the poetry set, then separates the persistence verbs from the named tropical drinks. The remaining four words complete the phrase pattern. No HC or FS candidates were selected in the supplied decisions, so no candidate artifacts are generated.

Overall difficultyModerate, with familiar vocabulary obscured by several plausible meanings and phrase associations.Biggest trapHURRICANE, PAINKILLER, SCORPION, and ZOMBIE disguise a drink category behind vivid literal meanings, while LAST and STAY can tempt unrelated grammatical or phrase-based groupings.Best first moveStart with BALLAD, EPIC, ODE, and VILLANELLE, the board's most tightly defined set.

Why the board is deceptive

The poetry group offers the firmest opening because VILLANELLE sharply narrows the category while BALLAD, EPIC, and ODE confirm it.

The main trap is semantic crossover: LAST and STAY have several uses, while the tropical drink names look more like hazards, creatures, or physical states than beverages.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Remove BALLAD, EPIC, ODE, and VILLANELLE first. Next, test CONTINUE, LAST, LINGER, and STAY as verbs expressing persistence. Recognizing HURRICANE, PAINKILLER, SCORPION, and ZOMBIE as tropical drinks leaves DREAMS, NOTHINGS, PEA, and SPOT for the shared SWEET prefix.

Spoilers below

Today’s groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

Words meaning to keep goingReveal this group

What connects CONTINUE, LAST, LINGER and STAY?

CONTINUE · LAST · LINGER · STAY

PERSIST. CONTINUE, LAST, LINGER, and STAY can each describe remaining, enduring, or carrying on over time.

Best anchor: Each word can mean to remain in effect, endure, or keep going.

Poetic forms and typesReveal this group

What connects BALLAD, EPIC, ODE and VILLANELLE?

BALLAD · EPIC · ODE · VILLANELLE

KINDS OF POEMS. BALLAD, EPIC, ODE, and VILLANELLE are recognized kinds of poems, with VILLANELLE serving as the strongest technical marker.

Best anchor: All four types are standard forms of poetry or verses.

Named tropical cocktailsReveal this group

What connects HURRICANE, PAINKILLER, SCORPION and ZOMBIE?

HURRICANE · PAINKILLER · SCORPION · ZOMBIE

TROPICAL DRINKS. HURRICANE, PAINKILLER, SCORPION, and ZOMBIE are all names of tropical drinks despite their unrelated everyday meanings.

Best anchor: Tropical mixed drinks are what these are, not a danger-themed set.

Words that follow sweetReveal this group

What connects DREAMS, NOTHINGS, PEA and SPOT?

DREAMS · NOTHINGS · PEA · SPOT

SWEET ___. DREAMS, NOTHINGS, PEA, and SPOT follow SWEET in the familiar expressions sweet dreams, sweet nothings, sweet pea, and sweet spot.

Best anchor: Each word completes a well-known phrase starting with SWEET.

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use today’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    PERSIST

    Each word can mean to remain in effect, endure, or keep going.

  2. 2
    KINDS OF POEMS

    All four types are standard forms of poetry or verses.

  3. 3
    TROPICAL DRINKS

    Tropical mixed drinks are what these are, not a danger-themed set.

  4. 4
    SWEET ___

    Each word completes a well-known phrase starting with SWEET.

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

Today’s best first move: Start with BALLAD, EPIC, ODE, and VILLANELLE, the board's most tightly defined set..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

Easy to moderate groupWords meaning to keep going
PERSIST: Each word can mean to remain in effect, endure, or keep going.
Easy groupPoetic forms and types
KINDS OF POEMS: All four types are standard forms of poetry or verses.
Moderate groupNamed tropical cocktails
TROPICAL DRINKS: Tropical mixed drinks are what these are, not a danger-themed set.
Moderate to hard groupWords that follow sweet
SWEET ___: Each word completes a well-known phrase starting with SWEET.

Questions players ask

Connections help without extra spoilers

I’m stuck. Which hint should I open first?

Start with the small hint for the group you feel closest to solving. Use the stronger hint only if the first nudge is not enough, then reveal the category or four words when you want confirmation.

What should I do when five words seem to belong together?

Assume one is a red herring. Look for the word with a strong second meaning, then test whether it forms a cleaner group elsewhere.

What does “Test a group” do?

Select four words and choose “Check these four” to see whether your grouping works. It stays on this page and never submits a guess to the official puzzle or affects a streak.

Do I need to solve the groups in difficulty order?

No. Start with the clearest exact set. Removing an obvious group often exposes the overlapping meanings and wordplay in the harder groups.

Can I check one answer without spoiling the whole puzzle?

Yes. Every group opens independently, so you can reveal one hint, category or set of four words while keeping the other groups hidden.

About the guide editor

Maya Brooks

Maya focuses on exact category logic, ambiguous overlaps and hints that help without giving the group away.

Read Maya’s profile →