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Verified archive for July 25, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1140

NYT Connections #1140 Hints & Answers (July 25, 2026)

Connections #1140 on July 25, 2026 moves from Spanish family vocabulary and the start of crying to African currencies and four phrases beginning with STRIP. Use the clues one group at a time before revealing the answers.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

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.

July 25, 2026 puzzle explained

Why the July 25 board changes direction

Two categories are lexical and two depend on a shared word added before or after each answer. That switch in rule type is the main challenge.

Overall difficultyTwo direct sets alternate with two wordplay setsBiggest trapWords such as MIST, RAND and CLUB have several plausible meanings, but only one exact four-word rule fits each set.Best first moveStart with ABUELA, HIJO, MADRE and PRIMO as Spanish family words.

Why the board is deceptive

The Spanish relatives give a firm starting point, but the board soon stops behaving like a simple synonym puzzle. The crying group needs UP after each word, while the final group needs STRIP before each word.

Several tiles are familiar outside their intended categories. CLUB can mean a group or weapon, MIST can be weather, and RAND is also a surname. Test the full four-word construction before committing a guess.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Remove ABUELA, HIJO, MADRE and PRIMO first. Add UP after CHOKE, MIST, TEAR and WELL to find the second group. Match KWANZA, LEONE, NAIRA and RAND to African currencies. The remaining CLUB, MALL, POKER and STEAK all follow STRIP.

Spoilers below

July 25, 2026 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.

Spanish family membersReveal this group

What connects ABUELA, HIJO, MADRE and PRIMO?

ABUELA · HIJO · MADRE · PRIMO

SPANISH RELATIVES. ABUELA means grandmother, HIJO means son, MADRE means mother, and PRIMO means a male cousin in Spanish. Each tile names a family relationship.

Best anchor: ABUELA is the clearest anchor because its Spanish family meaning is less likely to be confused with another board category.

Starting to cryReveal this group

What connects CHOKE, MIST, TEAR and WELL?

CHOKE · MIST · TEAR · WELL

START TO CRY, WITH "UP". CHOKE UP, MIST UP, TEAR UP and WELL UP all describe the start of crying or becoming tearful. The four board entries need the same added word.

Best anchor: TEAR is a useful anchor once it becomes TEAR UP, an especially direct description of becoming tearful.

African moneyReveal this group

What connects KWANZA, LEONE, NAIRA and RAND?

KWANZA · LEONE · NAIRA · RAND

AFRICAN CURRENCIES. KWANZA is Angola’s currency, LEONE is Sierra Leone’s, NAIRA is Nigeria’s, and RAND is South Africa’s. Each word names a national currency.

Best anchor: NAIRA is a strong anchor because it points clearly to a currency rather than to one of the board’s word-building patterns.

Words after STRIPReveal this group

What connects CLUB, MALL, POKER and STEAK?

CLUB · MALL · POKER · STEAK

STRIP ___. STRIP CLUB, STRIP MALL, STRIP POKER and STRIP STEAK are established expressions. CLUB, MALL, POKER and STEAK fit only when STRIP comes first.

Best anchor: MALL is the useful anchor: STRIP MALL is a familiar phrase, while MALL has little direct relationship to the other three alone.

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use this puzzle’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    SPANISH RELATIVES

    ABUELA is the clearest anchor because its Spanish family meaning is less likely to be confused with another board category.

  2. 2
    START TO CRY, WITH "UP"

    TEAR is a useful anchor once it becomes TEAR UP, an especially direct description of becoming tearful.

  3. 3
    AFRICAN CURRENCIES

    NAIRA is a strong anchor because it points clearly to a currency rather than to one of the board’s word-building patterns.

  4. 4
    STRIP ___

    MALL is the useful anchor: STRIP MALL is a familiar phrase, while MALL has little direct relationship to the other three alone.

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.

This puzzle’s best first move: Start with ABUELA, HIJO, MADRE and PRIMO as Spanish family words..

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.

Gentle groupSpanish family members
SPANISH RELATIVES: ABUELA is the clearest anchor because its Spanish family meaning is less likely to be confused with another board category.
Moderate groupStarting to cry
START TO CRY, WITH "UP": TEAR is a useful anchor once it becomes TEAR UP, an especially direct description of becoming tearful.
Tricky groupAfrican money
AFRICAN CURRENCIES: NAIRA is a strong anchor because it points clearly to a currency rather than to one of the board’s word-building patterns.
Most difficult groupWords after STRIP
STRIP ___: MALL is the useful anchor: STRIP MALL is a familiar phrase, while MALL has little direct relationship to the other three alone.

Questions players ask

Questions about this puzzle

What makes Connections #1140 tricky?

Words such as MIST, RAND and CLUB have several plausible meanings, but only one exact four-word rule fits each set.

Where should I start with the July 25, 2026 puzzle?

Start with ABUELA, HIJO, MADRE and PRIMO as Spanish family words.

About the guide editor

Jordan Ellis

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