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Spoiler-safeJuly 21, 2026Puzzle #1136

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 21, 2026

The July 21, 2026 board rewards shifts in meaning: everyday words become clothing terms, theater credits, downloadable software, or endings completed by TELE.

Guide editorNora BennettSenior Editor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Clothing styles worn above the waistStraightforward once HALTER is read as apparel rather than animal equipment
Items installed from a computer or deviceAccessible, although DRIVER can initially suggest a person or golf club
Distinct creative components of stage storytellingChallenging because BOOK has a specialized theatrical meaning
Words completed by the same opening elementTricky wordplay, with KINESIS providing the strongest confirmation

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 #1136: board overview

The board uses broad, ordinary words to hide narrow senses. HALTER strongly confirms the tops group, ORCHESTRATION confirms the musical group, and KINESIS is the clearest entry into the TELE___ construction.

Overall difficultyModerate, with several convincing overlaps and a specialized theater categoryBiggest trapCROP, BOOK, DRIVER, and GRAM all invite common meanings that conceal the intended clothing, theater, software, and word-building senses.Best first moveStart with APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION, and PLUGIN because all four can be downloaded to add software or hardware functionality.

Why the board is deceptive

The most accessible group is the software set, where four familiar downloads share a practical computing context.

The harder half turns on specialized musical-theater vocabulary and a prefix construction that is easiest to confirm aloud.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

First resolve the software downloads. Then test the four for clothing. Finally separate the theatrical terms from the four which accept TELE as a 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.

Clothing styles worn above the waistReveal this group

What connects CROP, HALTER, TANK and TUBE?

CROP · HALTER · TANK · TUBE

KINDS OF TOPS. CROP, HALTER, TANK, and TUBE each name a recognized kind of top.

Best anchor: Four familiar styles of tops

Items installed from a computer or deviceReveal this group

What connects APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION and PLUGIN?

APP · DRIVER · EXTENSION · PLUGIN

SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS. You can download and install as software an APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION, or PLUGIN.

Best anchor: Installable software components

Distinct creative components of stage storytellingReveal this group

What connects BOOK, LYRICS, MUSIC and ORCHESTRATION?

BOOK · LYRICS · MUSIC · ORCHESTRATION

ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL. BOOK, LYRICS, MUSIC, and ORCHESTRATION identify separate creative elements of a musical.

Best anchor: The writing and musical framework

Words completed by the same opening elementReveal this group

What connects GRAM, KINESIS, PROMPTER and VISION?

GRAM · KINESIS · PROMPTER · VISION

TELE___. Adding TELE produces telegram, telekinesis, teleprompter, and television.

Best anchor: Four words prefixed with TELE

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 Crop, Halter, Tank And Tube?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects Book, Lyrics, Music And Orchestration?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects Gram, Kinesis, Prompter And Vision?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
    KINDS OF TOPS

    Four familiar styles of tops

  2. 2
    SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS

    Installable software components

  3. 3
    ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL

    The writing and musical framework

  4. 4
    TELE___

    Four words prefixed with TELE

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 APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION, and PLUGIN because all four can be downloaded to add software or hardware functionality..

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.

Straightforward once HALTER is read as apparel rather than animal equipment groupClothing styles worn above the waist
KINDS OF TOPS: Four familiar styles of tops
Accessible, although DRIVER can initially suggest a person or golf club groupItems installed from a computer or device
SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS: Installable software components
Challenging because BOOK has a specialized theatrical meaning groupDistinct creative components of stage storytelling
ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL: The writing and musical framework
Tricky wordplay, with KINESIS providing the strongest confirmation groupWords completed by the same opening element
TELE___: Four words prefixed with TELE

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

Nora Bennett

An editor focused on spoiler-conscious daily puzzle guides and plain-English solving explanations.

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