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Verified archive for July 20, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1135

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 20, 2026

Connections puzzle #1135 for July 20, 2026 mixes direct verbs, interface vocabulary, pearl associations, and a compact hidden-word construction.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

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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

Connections #1135 Answer Guide

Wyna Liu's board moves from functional vocabulary to associative phrases and then to letter-level wordplay. BUBBLE TEA and PORTOBELLO attract attention as food terms, but they resolve in different groups.

Overall difficultyModerate, with a demanding final wordplay groupBiggest trapSeveral words suggest sound, food, or interface ideas, while the hardest group depends on hidden beverage names at the beginnings of longer words.Best first moveStart with BUTTON, ICON, LINK, and MENU because they form the cleanest functional set: all are things a user can click in a digital interface.

Why the board is deceptive

The board opens with two relatively concrete groups before heading into phrases and embedded-word construction.

The strongest trap is SOUND, which looks compatible with interface controls but belongs with verbs meaning to announce.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Clear the interface set first, then test BLARE, HERALD, SOUND, and TRUMPET as verbs. The pearl associations leave four words whose openings conceal alcoholic beverages.

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.

Make something knownReveal this group

What connects BLARE, HERALD, SOUND and TRUMPET?

BLARE · HERALD · SOUND · TRUMPET

ANNOUNCE. Each word can describe announcing, proclaiming, or making something publicly known, often with an implication of force or ceremony.

Best anchor: Verbs for making news known

Clickable interface elementsReveal this group

What connects BUTTON, ICON, LINK and MENU?

BUTTON · ICON · LINK · MENU

THINGS TO CLICK. BUTTON, ICON, LINK, and MENU are common interface elements that a user can click or otherwise select on a website or application.

Best anchor: Interactive elements on a screen

Pearl connectionsReveal this group

What connects BUBBLE TEA, OYSTER, SWINE and WISDOM?

BUBBLE TEA · OYSTER · SWINE · WISDOM

ASSOCIATED WITH PEARLS. Bubble tea can contain tapioca pearls, oysters are associated with pearls, and the phrases pearls before swine and pearls of wisdom complete the set.

Best anchor: Literal and figurative pearl associations

Beverages hidden at the startReveal this group

What connects ALEXA, MEADOW, PORTOBELLO and SAKES?

ALEXA · MEADOW · PORTOBELLO · SAKES

STARTING WITH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. The words begin with alcoholic beverages: ALE starts ALEXA, MEAD starts MEADOW, PORT starts PORTOBELLO, and SAKE starts SAKES.

Best anchor: Drink names embedded at word openings

Today’s supporting guides

Why the trickiest words belong together

These focused articles go beyond the answer: they explain the exact relationship, the convincing red herrings and how to recognize the pattern again.

Supporting clue guideWhat Connects Bubble Tea, Oyster, Swine and Wisdom?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects Alexa, Meadow, Portobello and Sakes?Explain this connection

Browse every Connections clue explainer →

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
    ANNOUNCE

    Verbs for making news known

  2. 2
    THINGS TO CLICK

    Interactive elements on a screen

  3. 3
    ASSOCIATED WITH PEARLS

    Literal and figurative pearl associations

  4. 4
    STARTING WITH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

    Drink names embedded at word openings

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 BUTTON, ICON, LINK, and MENU because they form the cleanest functional set: all are things a user can click in a digital interface..

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 groupMake something known
ANNOUNCE: Verbs for making news known
Easy to moderate groupClickable interface elements
THINGS TO CLICK: Interactive elements on a screen
Moderate groupPearl connections
ASSOCIATED WITH PEARLS: Literal and figurative pearl associations
Hard groupBeverages hidden at the start
STARTING WITH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: Drink names embedded at word openings

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideIcon Meaning: Symbols, Images and Influential People

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

Read the language guide Language guideBubble Tea Pearls Meaning: Boba and Tapioca Explained

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

Read the language guide Language guidePortobello Meaning: Mushroom, Name and Usage

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

Jordan Ellis

Jordan connects editorial explanations with practice tools, custom puzzles and the site’s future original games.

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