Today’s Connections grid may look confusing, but it is relatively easy to solve. If you are out of ideas, we’re here to help you out. Scroll down to get some general, spoiler-free hints. Scroll further to get one word from each category, followed by the list of themes. Reach the bottom of the page to get the answers and their explanations. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1,131, July 16, 2026).
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In This Article
What is Connections?
The New York Times has a thriving online word game section, with Connections being the second-most-played title behind the crown jewel, Wordle. The rules of this game are simple – you need to find 4 groups comprising 4 words each in a 16-word grid. The words in each group are united by a common theme. The Yellow group is the easiest one to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple (toughest). Sometimes, there are red herrings and misdirects in the grid to throw you off your game, so don’t take your thinking cap off at any time! Ready to lock in? You can play Connections in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.
Some tips to solve Connections
Look for the obvious patterns: Not every category in the puzzle is confusing. The Yellow and Green category words are relatively easy to spot. However, if something seems too obvious, it could be a red herring. Typically, the first two categories comprise verbs and adjectives. The misdirects are often nouns.
Double-check your submissions: ‘Do not overthink’ is usually a good tip for solving most puzzles, but it doesn’t really apply to Connections. Before submitting a set of words, you should always check whether they fit somewhere else too.
Hit a dead end? Use the shuffle button: The shuffle button at the bottom of the grid exists for a reason. Placing the words in different positions can spark new connections. Think of it as a mental refresh. New patterns will emerge, and you may be able to find a breakthrough.
Tackle the Purple category with extra caution: The Connections team is known to serve up the toughest and most unexpected words for the Purple category. Here are some of the common tropes that you should look out for:
- Homophones (For example: ‘Where’, ‘Wear’, ‘Ware’, and ‘Weir’)
- Words within words (For example: ‘Slip’, ‘Hear’, ‘Keyes’, and ‘Undiagnosed’ could be ‘Words containing parts of the face’)
- Words minus a letter (For example: ‘Anther’, ‘Easel’, ‘Hark’, and ‘Lama’ could be ‘Animals minus starting letter’)
- Words preceded or followed by another word (For example: ‘Face’, ‘Sports’, ‘Note’, and ‘Year’ could be ‘____ Book’)
Here’s your grid for today
- NEEDLE
- INK
- JET
- DOT MATRIX
- TONER
- POINT BREAK
- LASER
- CHARCOAL
- PEEL
- PITCH
- PERIOD PIECE
- BULLS EYE
- SPOT REMOVER
- EYE CREAM
- CLOCKWORK
- CLAY MASK
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,131) July 16, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Part of your beauty regimen.
- 🟢Green Group: Associated with a dark shade.
- 🔵Blue Group: Accurate and meticulous.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting with words for ‘speck’.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Clay Mask.
- 🟢Green Group: Charcoal.
- 🔵Blue Group: Bullseye.
- 🟣Purple Group: Dot Matrix.
List of Themes (Major Spoilers)
Maybe getting to know the common themes among the words will help you spot them faster. Here are all the categories for today.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Skincare Products.
- 🟢Green Group: Shades Of Black.
- 🔵Blue Group: Associated With Precision.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting With Tiny Marks.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,131) Today (July 16, 2026)
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Clay Mask, Eye Cream, Peel, Toner. (Skincare Products)
These products are often featured in common beauty and skincare regimens.
- 🟢Green Group: Charcoal, Ink, Jet, Pitch. (Shades Of Black)
These are descriptors for the colour black. ‘Charcoal’ may be associated with a beauty mask, but it isn’t specific enough to be in that category.
- 🔵Blue Group: Bullseye, Clockwork, Laser, Needle. (Associated With Precision)
All of these words are used to describe a precise action. ‘Laser’ was a part of the larger printer-related red herring today.
- 🟣Purple Group: Dot Matrix, Period Piece, Point Break, Spot Remover. (Starting With Tiny Marks)
Dot, Period, Point, and Spot refer to specks or flecks.
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,130, July 15, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Bar, Bench, Court, Tribunal. (Terms For The Legal System)
- 🟢Green Group: Baseball Glove, Corset, Football, Shoe. (Things With Laces)
- 🔵Blue Group: Extreme, Motor, Racket, Water. (Kinds Of Sports)
- 🟣Purple Group: Breathing, Elbow, Head, Wiggle. (Words Before ‘Room” To Indicate Extra Space)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,129 (July 14, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Agreement, Bargain, Deal, Understanding. (Contract)
- 🟢Green Group: Copy, Cut, Delete, Paste. (Edit Menu Options)
- 🔵Blue Group: Easter, Grocery, Laundry, Picnic. (Kinds Of Baskets)
- 🟣Purple Group: Recycling, Shuffle, This Side Up, U-Turn. (Symbolised With Arrows)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,128 (July 13, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Examine, Grill, Pump, Question. (Interrogate)
- 🟢Green Group: Bucket, Drawer, Mug, Umbrella. (Things With Handles)
- 🔵Blue Group: Figaro, Puss, Salem, Tom. (Fictional Cats)
- 🟣Purple Group: Bussin, Kisser, Peckish, Smackdown. (Starting With Smooches)
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How did other solvers do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 2 out of 5. This puts it in the medium difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!
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