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NYT Connections · #1136

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1136) — July 21, 2026

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“Nail down the group where every word completes the same prefix — that one is fast and frees up the board for the trickier reads.PROMPTER and VISION appeared together in Connections #288 (Mar 25, 2024). They were part of a TELE___ group then too — and they are again today.”

NYT Connections hints for July 21, 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 APPA self-contained program you download to a phone or computer.
2 BOOKNot a novel — in musical theatre this is the script: the spoken scenes and story structure.
3 CROPA short top that ends above the waist — also a hairstyle and a riding whip, which is the bait.
4 DRIVERLooks like someone behind a wheel or a golf club; here it's software that lets your OS communicate with hardware.
5 EXTENSIONLooks like a power cord or extra time; here it's a small add-on installed in a browser to expand what it can do.
6 GRAMAdd TELE- and you get the Victorian-era message service — also a unit of weight and a grandparent nickname on their own.
7 HALTERA top tied behind the neck, leaving the back bare — also equestrian gear, which is a common misdirect.
8 KINESISAdd TELE- and you get the supposed power to move objects with your mind.
9 LYRICSThe words sung in the songs — credited separately from the music itself.
10 MUSICThe composed score — the melodies and harmonies, distinct from the words set to them.
11 ORCHESTRATIONThe arrangement of the score for a full pit orchestra — the most specialised credit of the four.
12 PLUGINA modular piece of software that slots into a larger program to give it new abilities.
13 PROMPTERAdd TELE- and you get the scrolling screen that keeps a presenter's words flowing.
14 TANKA sleeveless, usually ribbed top — also a military vehicle, a container, and a verb meaning to fail badly.
15 TUBEA strapless top that stays up on its own — nothing to do with cylinders, the Underground, or video platforms.
16 VISIONAdd TELE- and you get the device that has dominated living rooms for decades.
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 What you might wear when it's too hot for sleeves.
See Group KINDS OF TOPS
See WordCROP
See WordHALTER
See WordTANK
See WordTUBE
See Hint Your device or browser needs these to do more.
See Group SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS
See WordAPP
See WordDRIVER
See WordEXTENSION
See WordPLUGIN
See Hint What a creative team hands over on opening night.
See Group ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL
See WordBOOK
See WordLYRICS
See WordMUSIC
See WordORCHESTRATION
See Hint Attach the same four-letter prefix and you have a household word.
See Group TELE___
See WordGRAM
See WordKINESIS
See WordPROMPTER
See WordVISION
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 BOOK Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing something you read on a shelf, but here it refers to a specific written component of a stage production — not a novel or a reservation.
2 TUBE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're likely thinking of a cylinder, the London Underground, or a video platform — but the puzzle is using it as a garment, a strapless style worn as a top.
3 DRIVER Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of someone behind a wheel or a golf club — but here it's a piece of software your device needs to talk to hardware.
4 EXTENSION Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a power cord or extra time on a deadline — but here it's a small program you install to add features to a browser or app.

NYT Connections answers for July 21, 2026

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

Y KINDS OF TOPS · Yellow · easiest
  • CROP
  • HALTER
  • TANK
  • TUBE

CROP, HALTER, TANK and TUBE are all types of women's tops. TUBE is the sneakiest — most solvers picture a cylinder or a transit line before the clothing sense clicks.

G SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS · Green · easy
  • APP
  • DRIVER
  • EXTENSION
  • PLUGIN

APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION and PLUGIN are all software you download or install to add functionality to a device or browser. DRIVER is the trickiest — it reads as a person or a golf club before the tech meaning surfaces.

B ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL · Blue · medium
  • BOOK
  • LYRICS
  • MUSIC
  • ORCHESTRATION

BOOK, LYRICS, MUSIC and ORCHESTRATION are all distinct components that make up a stage musical. BOOK is the standout — in everyday life it's something you read, but in musical theatre it specifically means the script and spoken dialogue.

P TELE___ · Purple · hardest
  • GRAM
  • KINESIS
  • PROMPTER
  • VISION

GRAM, KINESIS, PROMPTER and VISION all follow TELE- to form a compound word: telegram, telekinesis, teleprompter, television. KINESIS is the hardest — telekinesis is a familiar concept, but the root word alone looks like a science term.

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