Connections archive · Puzzle #1146
NYT Connections Hints & Answers — July 31, 2026 (#1146)
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: Hard
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: Verbs for forming or shaping something into being.
- Green: Stock roles from the Mushroom Kingdom cast — not just one character each.
- Blue: Knock off the first letter and a fruit remains.
- Purple: The opening chunk of each word is a synonym for joy or good cheer.
2. One word from each group a foothold
- Yellow: FASHION
- Green: DINOSAUR
- Blue: DAPPLE
- Purple: CHEERIOS
3. The four category names no words yet
- Yellow: CONSTRUCT
- Green: SUPER MARIO FIGURES
- Blue: FRUITS PLUS STARTING LETTER
- Purple: STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group
CONSTRUCT
- FASHION
- MODEL
- MOLD
- SHAPE
Green group
SUPER MARIO FIGURES
- DINOSAUR
- MUSHROOM
- PLUMBER
- PRINCESS
Blue group
FRUITS PLUS STARTING LETTER
- DAPPLE
- JDATE
- SLIME
- SPEAR
Purple group
STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS
- CHEERIOS
- FUNGUS
- GLEEK
- JOYSTICK
5. Reveal everything full spoilers
Yellow — CONSTRUCT
- FASHION
- MODEL
- MOLD
- SHAPE
Green — SUPER MARIO FIGURES
- DINOSAUR
- MUSHROOM
- PLUMBER
- PRINCESS
Blue — FRUITS PLUS STARTING LETTER
- DAPPLE
- JDATE
- SLIME
- SPEAR
Purple — STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS
- CHEERIOS
- FUNGUS
- GLEEK
- JOYSTICK
NYT Connections #1146 — quick answers
What are today's Connections categories?
CONSTRUCT; SUPER MARIO FIGURES; FRUITS PLUS STARTING LETTER; STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS.
What are all the answers?
- CONSTRUCT: FASHION, MODEL, MOLD, SHAPE
- SUPER MARIO FIGURES: DINOSAUR, MUSHROOM, PLUMBER, PRINCESS
- FRUITS PLUS STARTING LETTER: DAPPLE, JDATE, SLIME, SPEAR
- STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS: CHEERIOS, FUNGUS, GLEEK, JOYSTICK
Also for: Connections hints 7/31/26, 7-31-26, 7 31 26, 7/31/2026, and puzzle #1146.
Also stuck on Strands, Wordle, Spelling Bee or Mini Crossword ?
Today's puzzle, in a nutshell
Yellow is straightforward “make something” verbs. Green is Mario cast types. Blue and purple both hide a short word at the front of a longer one — fruit names vs. cheer words.