NYT Connections Game #1141: Themes and Spoiler Answers for July 26
NYT Connections keeps the daily word-game treadmill running with a fresh puzzle at midnight for each time zone, and the latest round—game #1141—throws up a familiar mix of everyday phrases and more esoteric vocabulary. If you’re trying to keep your streak alive, here are the themes, groupings, and the full set of answers for today’s challenge (with spoilers).
Today’s Connections set (game #1141): the starting tiles
- SOLID FOOD
- PASTRY CRUST
- ROLLING OVER
- LIQUID SUNSHINE
- PLASMA TV
- SCOTCH MIST
- BLACKBERRY
- GAS STATION
- ROWING BOAT
- FIRST WORDS
- APRIL SHOWERS
- DISCMAN
- WET WEATHER
- CARAPACE
- DVD PLAYER
- CRAWLING
How the hints point to the four themes
Connections uses color-coded categories, and today’s hint structure narrows the field to four specific group types:
- YELLOW: A little one’s achievements
- GREEN: Outdated electronics
- BLUE: Getting soaked
- PURPLE: Connected by a word that rhymes with “well”
The answers: all four categories for game #1141
Below are the four theme solutions for today’s puzzle.
- YELLOW — BABY MILESTONES: CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER, SOLID FOOD
- GREEN — OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH: BLACKBERRY, DISCMAN, DVD PLAYER, PLASMA TV
- BLUE — EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN: APRIL SHOWERS, LIQUID SUNSHINE, SCOTCH MIST, WET WEATHER
- PURPLE — WHAT “SHELL” MIGHT REFER TO: CARAPACE, GAS STATION, PASTRY CRUST, ROWING BOAT
Why this puzzle is worth your attention (beyond the win)
Connections often feels harder than it is because the categories are usually only a small conceptual step away from the surface reading of the tiles. This one leans into that pattern: “baby milestones,” “outdated consumer tech,” and “expressions for rain” are straightforward once you latch onto the category, while the final theme pivots on a more playful word-association mechanic tied to “shell.”
It also includes a couple of terms that can momentarily throw players off—like unfamiliar vocabulary choices—before the broader meaning clicks. The result is a puzzle that’s built to reward pattern recognition rather than pure trivia.
Quick game context: how Connections works
NYT Connections challenges players to sort items into groups of four that share a common link. Categories are color-coded by difficulty—green is easy, yellow is a step up, blue is typically tougher, and purple is usually the most challenging. The game is available for free through the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
