Connections archive · Puzzle #1144

NYT Connections Hints & Answers — July 29, 2026 (#1144)

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: Hardware that pins, binds, or staples things in place.
  • Green: Words for ordinary, unremarkable, nothing-special vibes.
  • Blue: Small pieces of insight you might drop in conversation.
  • Purple: Fill in the blank before BOARD — surfaces teachers write on or pin things to.
2. One word from each group a foothold
  • Yellow: NAIL
  • Green: BASIC
  • Blue: GEM
  • Purple: BLACK
3. The four category names no words yet
  • Yellow: FASTENERS
  • Green: NONDESCRIPT
  • Blue: UNITS OF WISDOM
  • Purple: ___ BOARDS IN A CLASSROOM
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group

FASTENERS

  • NAIL
  • RIVET
  • SCREW
  • STAPLE
Green group

NONDESCRIPT

  • BASIC
  • MID
  • PLAIN
  • VANILLA
Blue group

UNITS OF WISDOM

  • GEM
  • NUGGET
  • PEARL
  • WORD
Purple group

___ BOARDS IN A CLASSROOM

  • BLACK
  • CHALK
  • CORK
  • WHITE
5. Reveal everything full spoilers

Yellow — FASTENERS

  • NAIL
  • RIVET
  • SCREW
  • STAPLE

Green — NONDESCRIPT

  • BASIC
  • MID
  • PLAIN
  • VANILLA

Blue — UNITS OF WISDOM

  • GEM
  • NUGGET
  • PEARL
  • WORD

Purple — ___ BOARDS IN A CLASSROOM

  • BLACK
  • CHALK
  • CORK
  • WHITE

Today's puzzle, in a nutshell

Yellow is hardware that holds things together; green is bland descriptors. Blue is tiny units of insight, and purple fills in ___ BOARD for classroom surfaces.

NYT Connections #1144 — quick answers

What are today's Connections categories?

FASTENERS; NONDESCRIPT; UNITS OF WISDOM; ___ BOARDS IN A CLASSROOM.

What are all the answers?
  • FASTENERS: NAIL, RIVET, SCREW, STAPLE
  • NONDESCRIPT: BASIC, MID, PLAIN, VANILLA
  • UNITS OF WISDOM: GEM, NUGGET, PEARL, WORD
  • ___ BOARDS IN A CLASSROOM: BLACK, CHALK, CORK, WHITE

Also for: Connections hints 7/29/26, 7-29-26, 7 29 26, 7/29/2026, and puzzle #1144.

Also stuck on Strands, Wordle, Spelling Bee or Mini Crossword ?