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NYT Connections · #1133

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1133) — July 18, 2026

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“When you see words like SCORE and TIME, resist placing them with the basketball group — ask yourself where else those words live before you commit.”

NYT Connections hints for July 18, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 ATTITUDEA general stance or disposition toward something — your personal take on the world.
2 CARRYLooks like plain transportation; here it's an illegal move where a player cradles the ball mid-dribble.
3 CULTUREPop + culture = the shared trends, media and tastes of a generation.
4 DOUBLE DRIBBLEThe most self-explanatory violation — bouncing the ball, stopping, then bouncing again.
5 FLYPop + fly = a high, easy-to-catch ball hit straight up in baseball.
6 GOALTENDSwatting a shot on its downward arc — illegal interference that hands points to the other team.
7 HEALTHThe bar that drains when you take damage — hit zero and it's over.
8 LIVESThe number of chances left before the game ends — classic arcade currency.
9 MINDAs in 'speak your mind' — the belief or position you hold internally.
10 OPINIONThe most direct synonym here — a judgment or conclusion you've formed.
11 QUIZPop + quiz = the unannounced test that ruins a Monday morning.
12 SCORELooks like a sports term; here it's the running point total displayed in the corner of the screen.
13 TARTLooks like a pastry or a sharp flavor; here it's the second half of a toaster pastry brand name.
14 TIMEThe countdown clock in the corner — run it to zero and many games end automatically.
15 TRAVELLooks like a vacation word; here it's taking too many steps without dribbling.
16 VIEWLooks like a landscape or a window; here it means a position or belief you hold.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint A referee's whistle ends your turn on the court.
See Group COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION
See WordCARRY
See WordDOUBLE DRIBBLE
See WordGOALTEND
See WordTRAVEL
See Hint What you hold when you take a stand on something.
See Group BELIEF
See WordATTITUDE
See WordMIND
See WordOPINION
See WordVIEW
See Hint Numbers on screen that tell you how the run is going.
See Group THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES
See WordHEALTH
See WordLIVES
See WordSCORE
See WordTIME
See Hint A three-letter word you say to a baby unlocks all four.
See Group WORDS AFTER "POP"
See WordCULTURE
See WordFLY
See WordQUIZ
See WordTART
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 SCORE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of points on a scoreboard — a very basketball thing — but the puzzle is using it as something tracked inside a video game, not a sport.
2 CULTURE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as society or the arts, but the puzzle is using it as the second half of a compound word, not a standalone concept.
3 TART Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a pastry or a sharp taste, but the puzzle is using it as the back half of a brand name that starts with a very common word.
4 FLY Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the insect or the verb meaning to travel through the air, but the puzzle is using it as a word that pairs with a short prefix to make something else entirely.
5 VIEW Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as a visual scene or a scenic outlook, but the puzzle is using it as a held position or stance — closer to an opinion than a window.

NYT Connections answers for July 18, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION · Yellow · easiest
  • CARRY
  • DOUBLE DRIBBLE
  • GOALTEND
  • TRAVEL

CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND and TRAVEL are all basketball violations that result in a turnover or stoppage of play. CARRY is the sneakiest — most solvers picture someone lugging groceries before the illegal palming move clicks into place.

G BELIEF · Green · easy
  • ATTITUDE
  • MIND
  • OPINION
  • VIEW

ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION and VIEW all mean a held belief or personal viewpoint. VIEW is the trickiest — it pulls toward a scenic landscape before the abstract, intellectual sense lands.

B THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES · Blue · medium
  • HEALTH
  • LIVES
  • SCORE
  • TIME

HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE and TIME are all stats or meters tracked in video games — the HUD readouts that tell you how close you are to winning or dying. SCORE is the biggest trap because it screams basketball, but in this puzzle it belongs to the controller, not the court.

P WORDS AFTER "POP" · Purple · hardest
  • CULTURE
  • FLY
  • QUIZ
  • TART

CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ and TART all follow the word 'pop' to make a new word or phrase: pop culture, pop fly, pop quiz and Pop-Tart. TART is the most surprising — the toaster pastry brand is easy to miss when you're busy thinking about baked goods.

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