Connections archive · Puzzle #1136
NYT Connections Hints & Answers — July 21, 2026 (#1136)
Group hints and answers for the NYT Connections puzzle on . Get a spoiler-free nudge for each group, or reveal the full solution — your call.
Difficulty: Medium
Spoiler control
Choose how much to reveal
Reveal one step at a time — nudges first, full answers only if you ask.
1. Group nudges spoiler-free
- Yellow: Shirt styles named for how much shoulder or midriff they show.
- Green: Things you install so a program can run, connect, or extend itself.
- Blue: The building blocks behind Broadway shows — story, song text, score, and arrangement.
- Purple: Stick the same four-letter prefix on the front of each word.
2. One word from each group a foothold
- Yellow: CROP
- Green: APP
- Blue: BOOK
- Purple: GRAM
3. The four category names no words yet
- Yellow: KINDS OF TOPS
- Green: SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS
- Blue: ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL
- Purple: TELE_____
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group
KINDS OF TOPS
- CROP
- HALTER
- TANK
- TUBE
Green group
SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS
- APP
- DRIVER
- EXTENSION
- PLUGIN
Blue group
ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL
- BOOK
- LYRICS
- MUSIC
- ORCHESTRATION
Purple group
TELE_____
- GRAM
- KINESIS
- PROMPTER
- VISION
5. Reveal everything full spoilers
Yellow — KINDS OF TOPS
- CROP
- HALTER
- TANK
- TUBE
Green — SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS
- APP
- DRIVER
- EXTENSION
- PLUGIN
Blue — ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL
- BOOK
- LYRICS
- MUSIC
- ORCHESTRATION
Purple — TELE_____
- GRAM
- KINESIS
- PROMPTER
- VISION
NYT Connections #1136 — quick answers
What are today's Connections categories?
KINDS OF TOPS; SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS; ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL; TELE_____.
What are all the answers?
- KINDS OF TOPS: CROP, HALTER, TANK, TUBE
- SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS: APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN
- ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL: BOOK, LYRICS, MUSIC, ORCHESTRATION
- TELE_____: GRAM, KINESIS, PROMPTER, VISION
Also for: Connections hints 7/21/26, 7-21-26, 7 21 26, 7/21/2026, and puzzle #1136.
Also stuck on Strands, Wordle, Spelling Bee or Mini Crossword ?
Today's puzzle, in a nutshell
Yellow and green are tidy once you separate fashion from software. Blue needs theater vocabulary, and purple is pure wordplay with a shared prefix.