Play Connections #1133
These are the 16 words in the order NYT shows them. Tap four words you think belong together and press Submit. You get four mistakes, and we'll tell you when you are one word away. Nothing is saved, so you can practise without touching your real streak.
Connections #1133 hints
Yellow is usually the easiest group and purple the trickiest. Start with one colour and see if the rest falls into place.
Hints used: 0
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Yellow group hintGentle hint
A referee's whistle blows for these mistakes on the court.
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Green group hintGentle hint
These all describe where you stand on a topic.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
These are numbers and meters you glance at to see how you're doing.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Put the same short word in front of each one and you get a familiar term.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
TRAVEL and FLY both suggest movement, and SCORE and TIME sound like sports terms, which could pull you toward the basketball group.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION
- BELIEF
- THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES
- WORDS AFTER "POP"
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Difficulty: Medium. The fill-in-the-blank group is easy to spot once you see it, but the sports and thinking words overlap enough to cause a few missteps.
Connections #1133 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for July 18, 2026, with why each word fits.
Reveal one group at a time
Each colour opens in three steps: one word from the group, then the group name, then all four words. Stop as soon as you can finish it yourself.
Show one word
CARRY is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION.
Show all four words
CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL
Show one word
ATTITUDE is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is BELIEF.
Show all four words
ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW
Show one word
HEALTH is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES.
Show all four words
HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, TIME
Show one word
CULTURE is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is WORDS AFTER "POP".
Show all four words
CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- CARRY: Palming or holding the ball while dribbling is a violation.
- DOUBLE DRIBBLE: Dribbling, stopping, then dribbling again is illegal.
- GOALTEND: Blocking a shot on its way down is a violation.
- TRAVEL: Taking extra steps without dribbling is a violation.
- ATTITUDE: Your settled way of thinking about something.
- MIND: As in 'speak your mind' or 'change your mind'.
- OPINION: A personal judgment or belief about something.
- VIEW: A particular stance or way of seeing an issue.
- HEALTH: A meter showing how much damage you can take.
- LIVES: The number of tries you have left.
- SCORE: Points you've racked up so far.
- TIME: A countdown or clock showing how long remains.
Purple group explained
- CULTURE: Pop culture means popular mainstream trends and media.
- FLY: Pop fly is a high baseball hit.
- QUIZ: Pop quiz is a surprise test.
- TART: Pop-Tart is a toaster pastry.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 17 | #1132 | ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR |
| Jul 16 | #1131 | STARTING WITH TINY MARKS |
| Jul 15 | #1130 | WORDS BEFORE "ROOM" TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE |
| Jul 14 | #1129 | SYMBOLIZED WITH ARROWS |
| Jul 13 | #1128 | STARTING WITH SMOOCHES |
| Jul 12 | #1127 | STARTS OF U.S. CAPITALS |
| Jul 11 | #1126 | DOUBLE LETTERS APPEARING IN THAT LETTER'S ALPHABETICAL POSITION |
About Connections
Connections is a daily New York Times puzzle where you sort 16 words into four groups of four. Groups are colour-coded from yellow, the most direct, to purple, which usually relies on wordplay. You can make four mistakes. Looking back at past puzzles is one of the best ways to learn the kinds of tricks the editors like to use.
Other puzzles on Jul 18
Connections #1133 questions
What were the Connections answers on July 18, 2026?
COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION: CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL. BELIEF: ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW. THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES: HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, TIME. WORDS AFTER "POP": CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART.
What was the purple group in Connections #1133?
WORDS AFTER "POP": CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART.
What made Connections #1133 tricky?
TRAVEL and FLY both suggest movement, and SCORE and TIME sound like sports terms, which could pull you toward the basketball group.