HARDPuzzle #1143

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1143) – Today's Puzzle, Jul 28

TODAY'S NYT CONNECTIONS TIP

“Start by locking in the yellow group ("COMMAND") first to narrow the grid from 16 to 12 words.”

Written by Naveed Ahmed · Updated: July 28, 2026

← Yesterday's Connections Hint (#1142, Jul 27)

Connections Hint for Each Word Today

Tap any word to see its Connections hint — what it means in today's puzzle, no spoilers.

CAPTAIN hint: In the context of command, "CAPTAIN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

DIRECT hint: In the context of command, "DIRECT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HEAD hint: In the context of command, "HEAD" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

LEAD hint: In the context of command, "LEAD" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

EMPIRE hint: In the context of how do you like them apples, "EMPIRE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FUJI hint: In the context of how do you like them apples, "FUJI" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

GALA hint: In the context of how do you like them apples, "GALA" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HONEYCRISP hint: In the context of how do you like them apples, "HONEYCRISP" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CAMPER hint: In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CAMPER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CLARKS hint: In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CLARKS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CONVERSE hint: In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CONVERSE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CROCS hint: In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CROCS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ANNAPOLIS hint: In the context of starting with palindromic names, "ANNAPOLIS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BOBSLED hint: In the context of starting with palindromic names, "BOBSLED" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

EVEREST hint: In the context of starting with palindromic names, "EVEREST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

OTTOMAN hint: In the context of starting with palindromic names, "OTTOMAN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

Hints uncovered0 / 16

Today's NYT Connections Hints for All Four Categories

Reveal progressively: see the category hint first, then the group name, then individual words — stop whenever you have enough.

🟡 Straightforward

🟢 Medium

🔵 Hard

🟣 Tricky

⚠️Traps & Misdirects Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle

Today’s Connections puzzle includes words intentionally placed to misdirect you into wrong groups. These traps and misdirects hints reveal which words are designed to mislead, so you don’t burn your 4 allowed mistakes on deliberate decoys.

Decoys between COMMAND and HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES

Words like CAPTAIN and EMPIRE appear to overlap in everyday usage, but their true connections belong to separate categories.

Wordplay Red Herrings in "STARTING WITH PALINDROMIC NAMES"

The purple category ("STARTING WITH PALINDROMIC NAMES") uses deceptive associations with ANNAPOLIS, BOBSLED, EVEREST, OTTOMAN. Look beyond surface definitions to find the hidden theme.

Today's NYT Connections Answers

Click to reveal the complete solution — all four categories.

Category: COMMAND (Straightforward) — Answers: CAPTAIN, DIRECT, HEAD, LEAD

Category: HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES (Medium) — Answers: EMPIRE, FUJI, GALA, HONEYCRISP

Category: SHOE BRANDS STARTING WITH "C" (Hard) — Answers: CAMPER, CLARKS, CONVERSE, CROCS

Category: STARTING WITH PALINDROMIC NAMES (Tricky) — Answers: ANNAPOLIS, BOBSLED, EVEREST, OTTOMAN

Today's NYT Connections Answers Explained

COMMAND

The words CAPTAIN, DIRECT, HEAD, LEAD all share a unique thematic connection as command.

CAPTAIN

In the context of command, "CAPTAIN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

DIRECT

In the context of command, "DIRECT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HEAD

In the context of command, "HEAD" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

LEAD

In the context of command, "LEAD" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES

The words EMPIRE, FUJI, GALA, HONEYCRISP all share a unique thematic connection as how do you like them apples.

EMPIRE

In the context of how do you like them apples, "EMPIRE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FUJI

In the context of how do you like them apples, "FUJI" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

GALA

In the context of how do you like them apples, "GALA" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HONEYCRISP

In the context of how do you like them apples, "HONEYCRISP" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SHOE BRANDS STARTING WITH "C"

The words CAMPER, CLARKS, CONVERSE, CROCS all share a unique thematic connection as shoe brands starting with "c".

CAMPER

In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CAMPER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CLARKS

In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CLARKS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CONVERSE

In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CONVERSE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CROCS

In the context of shoe brands starting with "c", "CROCS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

STARTING WITH PALINDROMIC NAMES

The words ANNAPOLIS, BOBSLED, EVEREST, OTTOMAN all share a unique thematic connection as starting with palindromic names.

ANNAPOLIS

In the context of starting with palindromic names, "ANNAPOLIS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BOBSLED

In the context of starting with palindromic names, "BOBSLED" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

EVEREST

In the context of starting with palindromic names, "EVEREST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

OTTOMAN

In the context of starting with palindromic names, "OTTOMAN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

What Makes Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Tricky?

EMPIRE, FUJI, GALA, HONEYCRISP sit alongside CAMPER, CLARKS, CONVERSE, CROCS and phrases like ANNAPOLIS, BOBSLED, EVEREST, OTTOMAN — a collision of distinct word groups and subtle misdirects.

The editor's sharpest trick is hiding a word-within-a-word: some of the multi-word phrases are not grouped by their topic but by what their first word secretly means.

How to Use Connections Hints

Everyone playing NYT Connections puzzle gets stuck at a different point. Some players can’t figure out a single word. Others have three groups solved and can’t find the fourth. Where you are stuck determines which connection hint you need.

A word in the puzzle has an unfamiliar meaning

Some words in today’s NYT Connections puzzle are uncommon. Connections editor Wyna Liu often uses words with specific or less familiar meanings, particularly in the green, blue, and purple categories. If you don’t know what a word means, you cannot reliably place it in a group.

Recommendation: Use the Word Hint. It tells you what the word means in the context of today’s puzzle. Tap any word directly on the board above to see its hint.

No groups are forming after reading all sixteen words

The connection between words is often not obvious from their meanings alone — categories are built around themes that require a specific angle to see. These category-level clues are the most useful hints.

Recommendation: Use the Category Hint. It points you toward the theme of a category without revealing the category name or which words belong to it. Tap “Yellow Category Hint” first.

You have a possible group but aren’t ready to guess

You think four words belong together but you’re not confident enough to guess. If you’re unsure, don’t guess yet — a wrong guess costs you one of your four mistakes.

Recommendation: Use the Category Name. It reveals the exact name of the category without showing you which words belong to it.

One word seems to fit more than one group

You have built a group of four words but one word in it could also fit somewhere else. NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu deliberately places misleading words on the board.

Recommendation: Use the Traps and Misdirects Hints. It identifies the specific misleading words in today’s puzzle and explains why they don’t belong where you think they do.

You know the category but can’t find all four words

You have identified the theme of a category but can’t find all four words that belong to it.

Recommendation: Use the Word Reveal. It uncovers one masked word at a time without revealing the full group. This is the most precise connection hint available.

One mistake left with two groups unsolved

You have one mistake remaining and two groups unsolved. If you guess wrong here, the game ends and NYT reveals all the answers automatically.

Recommendation: Do not guess yet. Use the Category Name for both remaining groups first. If that is still not enough, tap “Category Words” and reveal one word at a time.

You want today’s answers without solving the puzzle

Use the Answers section. It shows all four category names and the four words that belong to each one.

Recommendation: Go to the Answers section.

The puzzle is over but a category still doesn’t make sense

You can see the four groups and their words but the connection between them isn’t clear.

Recommendation: Use the Answer Explanation. It tells you exactly what connects the words in each category and why each individual word belongs there.

Browse Past Puzzles

View answers and hints for every previous NYT Connections puzzle.

Puzzle Archive →

Frequently Asked Questions

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle by The New York Times where you group 16 words into 4 categories of 4 words each. Each category has a hidden theme color-coded by difficulty.

Yellow is the most straightforward category, Green is medium difficulty, Blue is harder, and Purple contains the trickiest, most misleading groupings.

Yes, NYT Connections is free to play once per day on the New York Times Games website.

A new NYT Connections puzzle releases every day at midnight in your local time zone (12:00 AM ET for US Eastern Time).

Naveed Ahmed

@NaveedAhmedDev

Lead Writer & Connections Puzzle Analyst

Naveed is a dedicated puzzle strategist and word game analyst who breaks down daily NYT Connections categories, uncovers tricky wordplay patterns, and delivers progressive, spoiler-free clues to help thousands of players solve every puzzle.