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Spoiler-safeJuly 26, 2026Puzzle #1141

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 26, 2026

The July 26, 2026 Connections board mixes familiar developmental stages, once-prominent devices, rainy expressions, and four very different meanings of one short word.

Guide editorNora BennettSenior Editor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Early achievements in infancyEasy once the life-stage context is recognized.
Devices associated with an earlier consumer-tech eraModerate because BLACKBERRY has a prominent non-device meaning.
Ways to describe rainy conditionsModerate because the phrases range from direct to playful.
Different senses of one hidden wordHard because the shared word is absent and each answer uses a different sense.

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 26 board is constructed

The central trap is sense-switching. BLACKBERRY can look botanical, LIQUID SUNSHINE sounds metaphorical, and CARAPACE suggests only an animal covering. The purple group works because “shell” can identify an animal structure, a fuel brand and station, a pastry exterior, or a narrow rowing boat.

Overall difficultyModerate, with one approachable life-stage group and a demanding final polysemy group.Biggest trapSeveral entries invite literal sorting by food, weather, animals, brands, or household objects before their intended senses become clear.Best first moveStart with CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER, and SOLID FOOD; all four are recognizable baby milestones and have little dependence on wordplay.

Why the board is deceptive

The cleanest opening set uses events associated with a baby's early development, making it the best place to secure an uncomplicated first group.

The remaining board shifts from recognizable consumer products to figurative weather language and a final group built around multiple senses of “shell.”

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Remove the four baby milestones first, then isolate the named devices that have been superseded in mainstream consumer use. Treat the rain expressions as phrases rather than literal images, leaving the four referents of “shell” for the final deduction.

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.

Early achievements in infancyReveal this group

What connects CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER and SOLID FOOD?

CRAWLING · FIRST WORDS · ROLLING OVER · SOLID FOOD

BABY MILESTONES. Each entry names a familiar developmental milestone associated with a baby's movement, speech, or transition to different food.

Best anchor: Early developmental achievements

Devices associated with an earlier consumer-tech eraReveal this group

What connects BLACKBERRY, DISCMAN, DVD PLAYER and PLASMA TV?

BLACKBERRY · DISCMAN · DVD PLAYER · PLASMA TV

OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH. The four entries identify consumer technologies strongly associated with earlier mobile, music, video, and television habits.

Best anchor: Consumer electronics from earlier years.

Ways to describe rainy conditionsReveal this group

What connects APRIL SHOWERS, LIQUID SUNSHINE, SCOTCH MIST and WET WEATHER?

APRIL SHOWERS · LIQUID SUNSHINE · SCOTCH MIST · WET WEATHER

EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN. All four phrases can refer to rain, from the direct WET WEATHER to the more figurative LIQUID SUNSHINE.

Best anchor: Rain described in several registers

Different senses of one hidden wordReveal this group

What connects CARAPACE, GAS STATION, PASTRY CRUST and ROWING BOAT?

CARAPACE · GAS STATION · PASTRY CRUST · ROWING BOAT

WHAT "SHELL" MIGHT REFER TO. A shell might be a CARAPACE, a Shell-branded GAS STATION, a PASTRY CRUST, or a long, narrow ROWING BOAT.

Best anchor: Four distinct referents of shell

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 BLACKBERRY, DISCMAN, DVD PLAYER, and PLASMA TV?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects CARAPACE, GAS STATION, PASTRY CRUST, and ROWING BOAT?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
    BABY MILESTONES

    Early developmental achievements

  2. 2
    OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH

    Consumer electronics from earlier years.

  3. 3
    EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN

    Rain described in several registers

  4. 4
    WHAT "SHELL" MIGHT REFER TO

    Four distinct referents of shell

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 CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER, and SOLID FOOD; all four are recognizable baby milestones and have little dependence on wordplay..

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 once the life-stage context is recognized. groupEarly achievements in infancy
BABY MILESTONES: Early developmental achievements
Moderate because BLACKBERRY has a prominent non-device meaning. groupDevices associated with an earlier consumer-tech era
OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH: Consumer electronics from earlier years.
Moderate because the phrases range from direct to playful. groupWays to describe rainy conditions
EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN: Rain described in several registers
Hard because the shared word is absent and each answer uses a different sense. groupDifferent senses of one hidden word
WHAT "SHELL" MIGHT REFER TO: Four distinct referents of shell

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideApril Showers Meaning: A Clear Guide to the Rain Expression

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

Read the language guide Language guideLiquid Sunshine Meaning: Why the Phrase Refers to Rain

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

Read the language guide Language guideScotch Mist Meaning: Understanding the Rain Expression

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

Nora Bennett

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

Read Nora’s profile →