A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #769
hints & answers for July 19, 2025

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows July 19, 2025. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with R, S, T and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

RAIN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER

Reveal all four words
  • RAIN
  • SPRING
  • TAP
  • WELL

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with P, P, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

PASS belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH A FOOTBALL

Reveal all four words
  • PASS
  • PUNT
  • SNAP
  • SPIKE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, N, P and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BRAD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SHARP FASTENERS

Reveal all four words
  • BRAD
  • NAIL
  • PIN
  • TACK

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, L, M and R. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DON belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

STARTS OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Reveal all four words
  • DON
  • LEO
  • MIC
  • RAP
Show categories only
  • Yellow: SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER
  • Green: THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH A FOOTBALL
  • Blue: SHARP FASTENERS
  • Purple: STARTS OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER

RAIN · SPRING · TAP · WELL

Green

THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH A FOOTBALL

PASS · PUNT · SNAP · SPIKE

Blue

SHARP FASTENERS

BRAD · NAIL · PIN · TACK

Purple

STARTS OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

DON · LEO · MIC · RAP

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.