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Spoiler-safeJuly 18, 2026Puzzle #1133

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 18, 2026

The July 18, 2026 Connections board mixes basketball violations, terms for belief, video-game counters, and words that complete familiar phrases beginning with POP.

Guide editorMaya BrooksSenior Editor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Basketball rule infractionsMost direct once DOUBLE DRIBBLE is noticed
Ways of expressing what someone believesAccessible, but broad meanings create overlap
Values monitored during playModerate because every entry has a common non-game sense
Completions of a shared prefixTrickiest until the phrase-building mechanism is tested

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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

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  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 #1133 Overview

The main misdirection comes from ordinary senses of CARRY and TRAVEL, plus the overlap between MIND, OPINION, ATTITUDE, and VIEW in conversational language. HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, and TIME become much firmer when treated as displayed or tracked game values rather than general nouns.

Overall difficultyModerate, with a sports cluster that becomes clear once its multiword entry is recognized.Biggest trapSeveral broad nouns can suggest everyday statistics or personal perspectives, while CARRY and TRAVEL initially look like ordinary movement words rather than basketball terms.Best first moveStart with DOUBLE DRIBBLE because its specific basketball meaning points directly toward CARRY, GOALTEND, and TRAVEL.

Why the board is deceptive

The board rewards spotting the highly specific sports phrase DOUBLE DRIBBLE before interpreting the shorter words around it.

The cleanest finish comes from separating abstract belief terms from game statistics, then testing POP before the four remaining words.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Lock in the basketball violations first, isolate the four quantities commonly tracked during video games, and then use POP as a shared prefix to distinguish the phrase group from the belief synonyms.

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.

Basketball rule infractionsReveal this group

What connects CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND and TRAVEL?

CARRY · DOUBLE DRIBBLE · GOALTEND · TRAVEL

COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION. Each word or phrase names an action that can constitute a basketball violation under the applicable rules.

Best anchor: The crucial basketball signal is supplied by DOUBLE DRIBBLE.

Ways of expressing what someone believesReveal this group

What connects ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION and VIEW?

ATTITUDE · MIND · OPINION · VIEW

BELIEF. Each term can refer to a person's belief, judgment, outlook, or settled way of thinking about something.

Best anchor: OPINION and VIEW form the clearest synonym pair.

Values monitored during playReveal this group

What connects HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE and TIME?

HEALTH · LIVES · SCORE · TIME

THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES. Video games commonly track these resources, totals, or limits while a player progresses through a challenge.

Best anchor: The video-game frame is set by HEALTH and LIVES.

Completions of a shared prefixReveal this group

What connects CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ and TART?

CULTURE · FLY · QUIZ · TART

WORDS AFTER "POP". Placing POP before each entry creates a familiar expression: POP CULTURE, POP FLY, POP QUIZ, or POP TART.

Best anchor: POP is the common word that opens up all four phrases.

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
    COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION

    The crucial basketball signal is supplied by DOUBLE DRIBBLE.

  2. 2
    BELIEF

    OPINION and VIEW form the clearest synonym pair.

  3. 3
    THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES

    The video-game frame is set by HEALTH and LIVES.

  4. 4
    WORDS AFTER "POP"

    POP is the common word that opens up all four phrases.

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 DOUBLE DRIBBLE because its specific basketball meaning points directly toward CARRY, GOALTEND, and TRAVEL..

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.

Most direct once DOUBLE DRIBBLE is noticed groupBasketball rule infractions
COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION: The crucial basketball signal is supplied by DOUBLE DRIBBLE.
Accessible, but broad meanings create overlap groupWays of expressing what someone believes
BELIEF: OPINION and VIEW form the clearest synonym pair.
Moderate because every entry has a common non-game sense groupValues monitored during play
THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES: The video-game frame is set by HEALTH and LIVES.
Trickiest until the phrase-building mechanism is tested groupCompletions of a shared prefix
WORDS AFTER "POP": POP is the common word that opens up all four phrases.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

These independent language explainers add definition, origin or usage context where it genuinely helps.

Language guideDouble Dribble Meaning in Basketball and Connections

Go deeper on this word or phrase without duplicating the puzzle explanation.

Read the language guide Language guideGoaltending Meaning: The Basketball Rule In Plain English

Go deeper on this word or phrase without duplicating the puzzle explanation.

Read the language guide

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.

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