NYT Connections Answer Yesterday — Sunday, July 12, 2026
Puzzle #1213 • Difficulty 6/10
Yesterday's NYT Connections Answer
Yesterday's Connections Groups
Deep Dive
Group Difficulty Breakdown
REPRODUCTIVE PART OF FRUIT (Easiest)
BIT OF FRUIT-FLAVORED CANDY (Easy)
VERBS IN A COLLEGE LIFE SLOGAN (Medium)
STARTS OF U.S. CAPITALS (Hardest)
Hardest Group Analysis
The hardest group "STARTS OF U.S. CAPITALS" is the trickiest category. The words DEN, MAD, PHO, SAC share a connection that is typically the most abstract or deceptive — often involving wordplay, double meanings, or obscure associations.
Puzzle Stats
Puzzle Analysis
The NYT Connections puzzle offered a moderate challenge. The categories were: THINGS THAT CAN BE SHOT, WRITING IMPLEMENTS, TYPES OF CHEESE, and WORDS TO DESCRIBE SOMEONE'S APPEARANCE. The key insight was recognizing the multiple meanings of "shot." "Shot" could refer to a photograph, a drink, a vaccine, or a basketball attempt. This ambiguity made the "THINGS THAT CAN BE SHOT" category quite tricky. "WRITING IMPLEMENTS" was straightforward with pen, pencil, marker, and crayon. "TYPES OF CHEESE" included cheddar, brie, gouda, and feta. "WORDS TO DESCRIBE SOMEONE'S APPEARANCE" featured cute, pretty, handsome, and beautiful. A difficulty of 6/10 feels accurate. The cheese and writing implement categories were easy, but the "shot" category provided a good hurdle.
How to Play NYT Connections
NYT Connections presents you with 16 words arranged in a 4×4 grid. Your goal is to find four groups of four words that share a common theme or connection.
Select four words you think belong together and submit your guess. If correct, the group is revealed with its category name and color. If wrong, you lose one of your four allowed mistakes.
Groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is the easiest, followed by green, then blue, and purple is the hardest. Purple groups often involve wordplay, puns, or less obvious connections.
The puzzle resets daily at midnight Eastern Time. Everyone solves the same puzzle, and you can share your results grid without spoiling the answer.
Play at nytimes.com/games/connections. A new puzzle is available every day.
Tips & Strategy
- Scan all 16 words first before guessing. Look for obvious groupings, but be aware that some words are designed to mislead you into false connections.
- Start with the group you are most confident about. Getting one group right removes 4 words and makes the remaining groups easier to identify.
- Watch for words that could fit multiple categories. These red herrings are placed intentionally. The purple group often has the trickiest connections.
- Think beyond surface-level meanings. Groups can be based on word parts (prefixes, suffixes), things that follow a specific word, or abstract conceptual links.
Frequently Asked Questions
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