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Last Updated: July 18, 2026 | Fact-Checked: ✅ Verified | ✉️ Contact the Author
🧩 NYT Connections Answers Today — July 18, 2026 (Puzzle #1133)
Here are the complete answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle, Saturday, July 18, 2026:
- 🟨 Yellow – Commit A Basketball Violation: CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL
- 🟩 Green – Belief: ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW
- 🟦 Blue – Things Tracked In Video Games: HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, TIME
- 🟪 Purple – Words After "Pop": CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART
Want to try solving it yourself first? Scroll down for progressive spoiler-free hints before seeing the full breakdown.
Welcome to today's NYT Connections hints and answers guide for Saturday, July 18, 2026. If you're stuck on Puzzle #1133, you're in the right place. We'll start with spoiler-free progressive hints so you can try to figure it out on your own, then reveal the full Connections answers for today with a detailed explanation of each group.
📌 Key Takeaways — Puzzle #1133
- Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
- Puzzle Number: #1133
- Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Medium)
- Trickiest Category: Purple — Words After "Pop"
- Easiest Category: Yellow — Commit A Basketball Violation
- Red Herring Warning: Puzzle #1133 is packed with misleading double-meanings designed to lure solvers into the wrong group: • CARRY — Could be mistaken for a verb meaning "to transport" (fitting with everyday actions) but here it refers to the basketball violation of illegally palming or turning the ball over during a dribble. • TRAVEL — Screams "vacation" or "journey," yet in this puzzle it's the classic NBA violation of taking too many steps without dribbling. • SCORE — Ambiguous between the video game HUD category and a possible "music" or "achievement" grouping. • TIME — Extremely versatile; could fit under "Things Tracked in Video Games," but also relates to sports, clocks, or even abstract concepts. • MIND — Easy to mistake for a "brain/body" or "focus" category, but here it's a synonym for OPINION ("to my mind…"). • VIEW — Could be confused with "scenery," "camera angle," or "webpage metrics" before landing in the Belief group. • FLY — A verb, a bug, a zipper, or a baseball term (POP FLY). The purple trap is real. • TART — Sounds like a flavor descriptor or a pastry — but combined with "POP," it becomes the iconic breakfast snack POP-TART. • QUIZ — Feels academic, but POP QUIZ is the target compound. • CULTURE — Might seem tied to arts or biology; POP CULTURE is the answer.
📖 In This Guide
📋 Today's 16 Words on the Board — July 18, 2026
Here are all 16 words you'll see on today's NYT Connections puzzle grid. Sort them into four groups of four connected words:
⚠️ Red Herring Alert: Puzzle #1133 is packed with misleading double-meanings designed to lure solvers into the wrong group: • CARRY — Could be mistaken for a verb meaning "to transport" (fitting with everyday actions) but here it refers to the basketball violation of illegally palming or turning the ball over during a dribble. • TRAVEL — Screams "vacation" or "journey," yet in this puzzle it's the classic NBA violation of taking too many steps without dribbling. • SCORE — Ambiguous between the video game HUD category and a possible "music" or "achievement" grouping. • TIME — Extremely versatile; could fit under "Things Tracked in Video Games," but also relates to sports, clocks, or even abstract concepts. • MIND — Easy to mistake for a "brain/body" or "focus" category, but here it's a synonym for OPINION ("to my mind…"). • VIEW — Could be confused with "scenery," "camera angle," or "webpage metrics" before landing in the Belief group. • FLY — A verb, a bug, a zipper, or a baseball term (POP FLY). The purple trap is real. • TART — Sounds like a flavor descriptor or a pastry — but combined with "POP," it becomes the iconic breakfast snack POP-TART. • QUIZ — Feels academic, but POP QUIZ is the target compound. • CULTURE — Might seem tied to arts or biology; POP CULTURE is the answer.
💡 Spoiler-Free Hints — NYT Connections July 18, 2026
Not ready for the full answer? Try these progressive hints for today's Connections puzzle. We start vague and get more specific so you can stop whenever you've got enough.
🟨 Yellow Group Hint
Theme Hint: Think about the rulebook, not the scoreboard. This group contains four infractions a referee would whistle during an NBA game — actions involving illegal ball handling, footwork, or interfering with a shot near the rim. If you've ever watched a game and heard the announcer say "That's a violation!" — these are the culprits.
🟩 Green Group Hint
Theme Hint: All four words in this group describe how someone perceives, thinks about, or feels toward a topic. They are synonyms for a personal stance or perspective — the kind of thing you might be asked to share in a debate, a survey, or a casual conversation. One entry is slightly more abstract than the others.
🟦 Blue Group Hint
Theme Hint: Fire up your favorite console or PC game and look at the heads-up display (HUD). These four items are the stats, meters, and counters that appear on-screen while you play — the essential metrics that determine whether you win, lose, or need to grab a power-up before it's game over.
🟪 Purple Group Hint
Theme Hint: Each answer becomes a familiar compound word or phrase when you place a three-letter word meaning "a sudden burst" or "a fizzy soda" directly in front of it. Think snacks, baseball, surprise tests, and mainstream trends. This is the classic Connections wordplay trap — the words look unrelated until you add the missing prefix.
🔑 One-Word Hints for Each Group
Still need a nudge? Here's one word that describes each group's theme:
🟨 Yellow
COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION
🟩 Green
BELIEF
🟦 Blue
THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES
🟪 Purple
WORDS AFTER "POP"
🔥 Two-Away Hints — Almost the Full Answer
Last chance before the full reveal. Here are two members of each group:
| Group | Two Revealed Words | Can You Find the Other Two? |
|---|---|---|
| 🟨 Yellow | CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE | What other words fit the "Commit A Basketball Violation" theme? |
| 🟩 Green | ATTITUDE, MIND | What other words fit the "Belief" theme? |
| 🟦 Blue | HEALTH, LIVES | What other words fit the "Things Tracked In Video Games" theme? |
| 🟪 Purple | CULTURE, FLY | What other words fit the "Words After "Pop"" theme? |
✅ Full Answers — NYT Connections Today, July 18, 2026 (Puzzle #1133)
Here are the complete NYT Connections answers for today, Saturday, July 18, 2026. Puzzle #1133 is fully solved below.
🟨 Yellow — Commit A Basketball Violation
🟩 Green — Belief
🟦 Blue — Things Tracked In Video Games
🟪 Purple — Words After "Pop"
🔍 Detailed Breakdown of Each Category
Let's dive deep into each of today's four categories in Connections Puzzle #1133 with the full answers and why each word belongs.
🟨 Yellow (Easiest) — Commit A Basketball Violation
The easiest category in today's Connections puzzle is "Commit A Basketball Violation". The four words that belong to this group are:
- CARRY
- DOUBLE DRIBBLE
- GOALTEND
- TRAVEL
All four words connect through the theme of "Commit A Basketball Violation". Look for this pattern when solving similar categories in future Connections puzzles.
🟩 Green (Medium) — Belief
The medium category in today's Connections puzzle is "Belief". The four words that belong to this group are:
- ATTITUDE
- MIND
- OPINION
- VIEW
All four words connect through the theme of "Belief". Look for this pattern when solving similar categories in future Connections puzzles.
🟦 Blue (Hard) — Things Tracked In Video Games
The hard category in today's Connections puzzle is "Things Tracked In Video Games". The four words that belong to this group are:
- HEALTH
- LIVES
- SCORE
- TIME
All four words connect through the theme of "Things Tracked In Video Games". Look for this pattern when solving similar categories in future Connections puzzles.
🟪 Purple (Hardest) — Words After "Pop"
The hardest category in today's Connections puzzle is "Words After "Pop"". The four words that belong to this group are:
- CULTURE
- FLY
- QUIZ
- TART
All four words connect through the theme of "Words After "Pop"". Look for this pattern when solving similar categories in future Connections puzzles.
📊 Difficulty Analysis & Strategy Tips
| Group | Difficulty | Solve Order |
|---|---|---|
| 🟨 Yellow — Commit A Basketball Violation | ⭐ Easy | Solve FIRST — the easiest category |
| 🟩 Green — Belief | ⭐⭐ Medium | Solve SECOND |
| 🟦 Blue — Things Tracked In Video Games | ⭐⭐⭐ Hard | Solve THIRD |
| 🟪 Purple — Words After "Pop" | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Hard | Solve LAST or by elimination |
🎯 Pro Strategy for Puzzle #1133
PRO STRATEGY TIPS FOR SOLVING PUZZLE #1133:
1. START WITH YELLOW (Basketball Violations): DOUBLE DRIBBLE is unmistakable — it can only belong to one category. Anchor Yellow first by locking in DOUBLE DRIBBLE and GOALTEND, then pull in CARRY and TRAVEL (resisting the urge to place them elsewhere).
2. TACKLE BLUE SECOND (Video Game Stats): HEALTH and LIVES are gaming-specific and cannot fit any other category cleanly. Use them as anchors, then absorb SCORE and TIME — even though these two feel generic, process of elimination will confirm.
3. SAVE PURPLE FOR LAST — but test it early: When you see TART, QUIZ, FLY, and CULTURE, immediately try prefixing "POP" to each. If all four form real compound words (POP-TART, POP QUIZ, POP FLY, POP CULTURE), you've cracked the theme.
4. GREEN IS THE CLEANUP CROW: ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, and VIEW are pure synonyms with no overlap into other categories once the trickier groups are locked in.
5. WATCH THE OVERLAP TRAP: SCORE could theoretically fit "music" and TIME could fit "clocks" — but neither of those categories exists in this puzzle. Trust the theme constraints.
6. USE THE "ONE AWAY" FEATURE STRATEGICALLY: If NYT says "One away," you're likely swapping between Blue (SCORE/TIME) and Yellow (CARRY/TRAVEL) — the two most ambiguous words.
Recommended solve order: 🟨 Yellow → 🟦 Blue → 🟪 Purple → 🟩 Green
Expected mistake count for average players: 1–2
🎮 How to Play NYT Connections
New to the game? Here's a quick guide:
1️⃣
Study the 16 Words
Find four groups of four related words in the 4×4 grid.
2️⃣
Select & Submit
Tap four words you think belong together and hit "Submit."
3️⃣
4 Mistakes Max
Wrong guesses cost a life. After 4 mistakes, the game ends.
4️⃣
Solve All Four
Yellow = easiest, Purple = hardest. Solve all four to win!
🗞️ What Is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle game created by Wyna Liu and published by The New York Times. Launched in mid-2023, it has become one of the most popular word games online alongside Wordle. Each puzzle presents 16 words that must be organized into four groups of four sharing a common theme.
- 🟨 Yellow — Easiest (straightforward connections)
- 🟩 Green — Medium difficulty
- 🟦 Blue — Hard (tricky connections or wordplay)
- 🟪 Purple — Hardest (often abstract, suffix/prefix patterns, or obscure links)
📅 Yesterday's Answers — Puzzle #1132
- 🟨 Grand Finale: Epilogue, Farewell, Last Dance, Swan Song
- 🟩 Seen In An Arcade: Crane Game, Pinball, Tickets, Tokens
- 🟦 Four Groups Of Four: Cardinal Directions, Classical Elements, Seasons, Suits
- 🟪 Ending In Parts Of A Car: Plot Spoiler, Robin Hood, Satires, Tree Trunk
❓ Frequently Asked Questions — Connections July 18, 2026
The answers for NYT Connections Puzzle #1133 (July 18, 2026) are: 🟨 Yellow (Commit A Basketball Violation): CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL | 🟩 Green (Belief): ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW | 🟦 Blue (Things Tracked In Video Games): HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, TIME | 🟪 Purple (Words After "Pop"): CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART.
The yellow category in today's Connections (July 18, 2026) is "Commit A Basketball Violation" and the four answers are CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL.
The purple category in today's Connections (July 18, 2026) is "Words After "Pop"" and the answers are CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART.
A new NYT Connections puzzle is released every day at midnight Eastern Time (ET). That's 9:00 PM Pacific, 5:00 AM BST, or 2:00 PM AEST. Bookmark this page for daily hints!
You are allowed up to 4 mistakes. After 4 incorrect guesses, the game ends and all remaining answers are revealed. Start with Yellow (easiest) to minimize errors.
The colors indicate difficulty: 🟨 Yellow is the easiest, 🟩 Green is moderate, 🟦 Blue is tricky, and 🟪 Purple is the hardest (often involving wordplay or abstract connections).
Yes! NYT Connections is free to play daily on The New York Times website and app. No subscription is required. You can also play unlimited sports-themed puzzles for free at ConnectionsSports.com.
As of July 18, 2026, there have been 1,133 NYT Connections puzzles since the game launched on June 12, 2023.
🏆 That's Today's NYT Connections Solved — Puzzle #1133
Come back tomorrow for Puzzle #1134 — we'll have fresh hints and answers waiting for you right here!
Questions or feedback? Contact Ranjit Kumar — puzzle architect and creator of ConnectionsSports.com.
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