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Verified archive for July 23, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1138

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 23, 2026

The July 23, 2026 Connections board combines concrete objects and airport vocabulary with an anxious-state set and a precise hidden-ending pattern.

Guide editorEthan ParkEditor

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

How the July 23 board is constructed

The central trap is the airport vocabulary: DEPLANE looks compatible with that theme but belongs to the geometry wordplay group because it ends in PLANE.

Overall difficultyModerate to hardBiggest trapSeveral airport-related words compete with DEPLANE, while ordinary meanings conceal the geometry endings.Best first moveStart with the four unmistakably spherical objects, then isolate the physical airport locations.

Why the board is deceptive

The spherical objects provide the cleanest entry because all four can be pictured immediately.

The final groups demand sense-switching: emotional intensity in one case and embedded geometry terms in the other.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Clear the spherical set first, use APRON with HANGAR, RUNWAY, and TERMINAL next, then test the remaining words by endings before treating them only by definition.

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.

Round objectsReveal this group

What connects BASEBALL, GLOBE, MARBLE and ORANGE?

BASEBALL · GLOBE · MARBLE · ORANGE

SPHERICAL THINGS. A BASEBALL, GLOBE, MARBLE, and ORANGE all have a spherical or approximately spherical physical form.

Best anchor: Picture each object in three dimensions.

Agitated or highly chargedReveal this group

What connects EXCITED, FEBRILE, FRENETIC and INTENSE?

EXCITED · FEBRILE · FRENETIC · INTENSE

IN AN ANXIOUS STATE. EXCITED, FEBRILE, FRENETIC, and INTENSE can each describe a heightened, agitated, or anxiety-charged state.

Best anchor: Look beyond positive excitement and medical fever.

Airport locations and surfacesReveal this group

What connects APRON, HANGAR, RUNWAY and TERMINAL?

APRON · HANGAR · RUNWAY · TERMINAL

PARTS OF AN AIRPORT. An APRON, HANGAR, RUNWAY, and TERMINAL are distinct physical or operational parts of an airport.

Best anchor: Map the journey from aircraft storage to passenger arrival.

Hidden geometry endingsReveal this group

What connects APPOINT, DEPLANE, FELINE and JANGLE?

APPOINT · DEPLANE · FELINE · JANGLE

ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS. APPOINT ends in POINT, DEPLANE in PLANE, FELINE in LINE, and JANGLE in ANGLE, all geometry terms.

Best anchor: Ignore whole-word meanings and inspect the final letters.

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 Excited, Febrile, Frenetic And Intense?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects Appoint, Deplane, Feline And Jangle?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
    SPHERICAL THINGS

    Picture each object in three dimensions.

  2. 2
    IN AN ANXIOUS STATE

    Look beyond positive excitement and medical fever.

  3. 3
    PARTS OF AN AIRPORT

    Map the journey from aircraft storage to passenger arrival.

  4. 4
    ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS

    Ignore whole-word meanings and inspect the final letters.

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 the four unmistakably spherical objects, then isolate the physical airport locations..

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 groupRound objects
SPHERICAL THINGS: Picture each object in three dimensions.
Hard groupAgitated or highly charged
IN AN ANXIOUS STATE: Look beyond positive excitement and medical fever.
Moderate groupAirport locations and surfaces
PARTS OF AN AIRPORT: Map the journey from aircraft storage to passenger arrival.
Very hard groupHidden geometry endings
ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS: Ignore whole-word meanings and inspect the final letters.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideRunway Meaning: Airport, Fashion, and Puzzle Uses

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

Ethan Park

Ethan turns word patterns and solving routes into concise, accessible guidance for daily players.

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