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Spoiler-safeJuly 13, 2026Puzzle #1128

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 13, 2026

The July 13, 2026 Connections board mixes direct verbs, everyday objects, character names, and a final sound-based construction built around kisses.

Guide editorMaya BrooksSenior Editor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Ways to press for answersEasy
Objects you can grasp by a handleModerate
Named cats from fictionModerate
Words beginning with kinds of kissesHard

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

Connections #1128 Answers and Solving Notes

To get the cleanest route, you identify the interrogation verbs and then separate handled objects from proper names, and also the wordplay entries. For the last category, you have to read the first sound of each answer as a term for a kiss.

Overall difficultyModerate to hard, with familiar vocabulary obscuring a wordplay-heavy final group.Biggest trapGRILL can suggest an object, MUG can mean a face or an attack, and PUMP can be equipment, creating false object-based combinations before the verb and handle groups are separated.Best first moveLook for four verbs describing ways to seek information from someone: EXAMINE, GRILL, PUMP, and QUESTION.

Why the board is deceptive

The most accessible set is the cluster of verbs that can describe pressing another person for information.

The principal challenge comes from misleading surface meanings and a purple group, as the common factor only appears at the start of each word.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Begin with the four interrogation verbs, then test concrete nouns for a shared physical feature. Recognizing the four fictional cat names leaves a final set whose opening chunks are all words for smooches.

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.

Ways to press for answersReveal this group

What connects EXAMINE, GRILL, PUMP and QUESTION?

EXAMINE · GRILL · PUMP · QUESTION

Interrogate. EXAMINE, GRILL, PUMP, and QUESTION can each describe asking someone for information, often closely or persistently.

Best anchor: Four verbs that mean to press someone for information

Objects you can grasp by a handleReveal this group

What connects BUCKET, DRAWER, MUG and UMBRELLA?

BUCKET · DRAWER · MUG · UMBRELLA

Things with handles. A BUCKET, DRAWER, MUG, and UMBRELLA usually has a handle for carrying, pulling, holding, or controlling it.

Best anchor: Each object has a part designed to be held or pulled.

Named cats from fictionReveal this group

What connects FIGARO, PUSS, SALEM and TOM?

FIGARO · PUSS · SALEM · TOM

Fictional cats. FIGARO, PUSS, SALEM, and TOM are all names associated with fictional cats across animation, fairy tales, television, and comics.

Best anchor: Four named feline characters from fiction and popular culture.

Words beginning with kinds of kissesReveal this group

What connects BUSSIN, KISSER, PECKISH and SMACKDOWN?

BUSSIN · KISSER · PECKISH · SMACKDOWN

Starting with smooches. BUSSIN, KISSER, PECKISH, and SMACKDOWN begin with BUSS, KISS, PECK, and SMACK, each a word associated with a smooch.

Best anchor: Their opening sounds are BUSS, KISS, PECK, and SMACK.

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
    Interrogate

    Four verbs that mean to press someone for information

  2. 2
    Things with handles

    Each object has a part designed to be held or pulled.

  3. 3
    Fictional cats

    Four named feline characters from fiction and popular culture.

  4. 4
    Starting with smooches

    Their opening sounds are BUSS, KISS, PECK, and SMACK.

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: Look for four verbs describing ways to seek information from someone: EXAMINE, GRILL, PUMP, and QUESTION..

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 groupWays to press for answers
Interrogate: Four verbs that mean to press someone for information
Moderate groupObjects you can grasp by a handle
Things with handles: Each object has a part designed to be held or pulled.
Moderate groupNamed cats from fiction
Fictional cats: Four named feline characters from fiction and popular culture.
Hard groupWords beginning with kinds of kisses
Starting with smooches: Their opening sounds are BUSS, KISS, PECK, and SMACK.

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 →