Full Breakdown
NYT Connections Puzzle #1133 (July 18 2026): Solutions and Insights
7/19/2026, 8:27:25 AM
Puzzle Overview
On Saturday, July 18 2026 the New York Times released Connections puzzle #1133. Players received a 4 × 4 grid containing sixteen words: Carry, Double dribble, Goaltend, Travel, Attitude, Mind, Opinion, View, Health, Lives, Score, Time, Culture, Fly, Quiz, Tart. The objective is to sort the words into four thematic groups of four, each marked by a color that indicates relative difficulty: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (most challenging). Solvers are allowed four incorrect guesses before the puzzle ends.
Solution Groups
| Color | Theme (as given by the NYT) | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Commit a basketball violation | Carry, Double dribble, Goaltend, Travel |
| Green | Belief | Attitude, Mind, Opinion, View |
| Blue | Things tracked in video games | Health, Lives, Score, Time |
| Purple | Words after “pop” | Culture, Fly, Quiz, Tart |
Each group aligns with the NYT-provided category titles, confirming the intended connections.
Difficulty Rating & Gameplay Mechanics
The NYT’s Connections Companion rated puzzle #1133 at 1.8 out of 5, placing it among the easier daily challenges. The game limits players to four mistakes; exceeding this limit ends the round without a solution. The color-coded system signals that the yellow set is typically the most straightforward, while the purple set demands the most abstract reasoning.
Background of the Connections Game
Connections launched in June 2023 as part of the New York Times Games suite, joining Wordle and the daily crossword as a staple for puzzle enthusiasts. The format presents sixteen words that can plausibly belong to multiple categories, encouraging solvers to eliminate red herrings and identify the single correct grouping for each word. Since its debut, the game has attracted millions of daily players worldwide, establishing a routine that many users track alongside other NYT offerings.
Player Reception and Impact
The puzzle’s moderate difficulty contributed to a high completion rate, with many solvers noting that the yellow basketball-violation group was quickly identified, while the purple “pop-” group required the most lateral thinking. Commentary from participants highlighted the balance between clear-cut synonyms (green) and broader gaming metrics (blue), illustrating how the game reinforces pattern-recognition skills across diverse knowledge areas.
Verbatim Quotes
- “?Yellow Group: Carry, Double Dribble, Goaltend, Travel.” — *NYT Connections solution list*
- “? Commit a basketball violation: Carry, double dribble, goaltend, travel Carry, double dribble, goaltend, travel ? Belief: Attitude, mind, opinion, view Attitude, mind, opinion, view ? Things tracked in video games: Health, lives, score, time Health, lives, score, time ? Words after 'pop': Culture, fly, quiz, tart (Image credit: The New York Times) I'm honestly surprised I got today's yellow category off the bat, because I'm not a big sports ball person.” — *Solver commentary, Tom’s Guide*
- “Click to expand The Verdict The basketball violations should fall first, with DOUBLE DRIBBLE and GOALTEND providing the clearest anchors.” — *Technobezz analysis*
- “(Words After ‘Pop’) Pop culture (mainstream trends), Pop fly (a ball that’s hit very high in the air, but not too far), Pop quiz (impromptu quiz), Pop tart (pastry).” — *Technobezz explanation*
These statements capture both the factual solution and the experiential perspective of players navigating the puzzle.
