A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1132
hints & answers for July 17, 2026

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 17, 2026. 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 E, F, L and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

EPILOGUE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

GRAND FINALE

Reveal all four words
  • EPILOGUE
  • FAREWELL
  • LAST DANCE
  • SWAN SONG

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CRANE GAME belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SEEN IN AN ARCADE

Reveal all four words
  • CRANE GAME
  • PINBALL
  • TICKETS
  • TOKENS

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CARDINAL DIRECTIONS belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR

Reveal all four words
  • CARDINAL DIRECTIONS
  • CLASSICAL ELEMENTS
  • SEASONS
  • SUITS

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

PLOT SPOILER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR

Reveal all four words
  • PLOT SPOILER
  • ROBIN HOOD
  • SATIRES
  • TREE TRUNK
Show categories only
  • Yellow: GRAND FINALE
  • Green: SEEN IN AN ARCADE
  • Blue: FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR
  • Purple: ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

GRAND FINALE

EPILOGUE · FAREWELL · LAST DANCE · SWAN SONG

Green

SEEN IN AN ARCADE

CRANE GAME · PINBALL · TICKETS · TOKENS

Blue

FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR

CARDINAL DIRECTIONS · CLASSICAL ELEMENTS · SEASONS · SUITS

Purple

ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR

PLOT SPOILER · ROBIN HOOD · SATIRES · TREE TRUNK

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.