Connections Hint
Puzzle #1138 · July 23, 2026

NYT Connections Hints for July 23, 2026

Start with the spoiler-free hints. Go deeper only when you need to. Reveal answers on your own terms.

Thursday, July 23, 2026
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Today’s 16 Puzzle Words
Tap any word to see how it’s used in this puzzle
FRENETICAPRONFELINEGLOBEAPPOINTHANGAREXCITEDINTENSETERMINALORANGEBASEBALLMARBLEJANGLEFEBRILEDEPLANERUNWAY

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • These items all share a common shape — one you could easily cup in your hand.
  • These words describe that fluttery feeling when you're about to burst.
  • You'd encounter each of these places while waiting to board a flight.
  • Ignore what these words mean — the secret is literally in the final letters.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • Think of everyday objects that are round and symmetrical from all sides.
  • They're all adjectives meaning highly agitated or emotionally charged.
  • These are the various functional areas of an aviation hub.
  • The connection is about mathematics: each word ends with a different geometry term.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • All four are things that are spherical — like a ball, a planet, a toy, or a fruit.
  • Each word is a synonym for feeling anxious or on edge.
  • They are all specific sections of an airport where planes and passengers move.
  • The last few letters of each word form a geometric concept: point, line, angle, or plane.

Today’s Trap Words

The words engineered to mislead

Every Connections board plants a few decoys. Here are today’s, and why they pull you the wrong way.

DEPLANE

It means to leave an aircraft, making it a perfect decoy for the airport parts group — but its true secret is in its spelling.

JANGLE

Often used to describe jangled nerves, it fits the anxiety theme — yet it belongs elsewhere due to its ending.

TERMINAL

Could refer to a terminal illness, evoking anxious feelings, but it's actually an airport location.

Connections Answers — July 23, 2026

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
SPHERICAL THINGS
ORANGE · BASEBALL · MARBLE · GLOBE
Tap to reveal
IN AN ANXIOUS STATE
INTENSE · FEBRILE · EXCITED · FRENETIC
Tap to reveal
PARTS OF AN AIRPORT
APRON · TERMINAL · RUNWAY · HANGAR
Tap to reveal
ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS
JANGLE · FELINE · APPOINT · DEPLANE
Tap to reveal
SEE ALSO:
NYT Wordle hints for July 23, 2026 NYT Pips hints for July 23, 2026 NYT Strands hints for July 23, 2026

Category Breakdown — Puzzle #1138

Why each group works — not just what it is

SPHERICAL THINGS

All four items are round objects: a baseball, a globe, a marble, and an orange. They're everyday spheres you could hold in your hand.

IN AN ANXIOUS STATE

These are synonyms describing a state of nervous tension or agitation: excited, febrile, frenetic, and intense.

PARTS OF AN AIRPORT

These are specific areas you'd find at an airport: the apron, hangar, runway, and terminal.

ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS

Each word finishes with a geometric concept: APPOINT ends in POINT, DEPLANE ends in PLANE, FELINE ends in LINE, JANGLE ends in ANGLE. A clever wordplay category.

Word Guide — All 16 Puzzle Words

What each word means in this puzzle
FRENETIC
Wildly energetic and agitated; a state of high anxiety.
APRON
In aviation, the section of an airport where planes park, load, and refuel, not a clothing item.
FELINE
Relating to cats; in this puzzle, note that its last four letters spell LINE, a geometry term.
GLOBE
A spherical model of Earth, often used for education or decoration.
APPOINT
To designate someone for a role — its final four letters form POINT.
HANGAR
A large building at an airport where aircraft are stored and maintained.
EXCITED
Feeling lively anticipation; can also describe a nervous flutter.
INTENSE
An adjective describing extreme emotion or concentration, often linked to nervous excitement.
TERMINAL
The passenger building at an airport where gates and services are located.
ORANGE
A round citrus fruit, but also a color — here it's grouped for its shape.
BASEBALL
The ball used in the sport of the same name, known for its spherical shape and stitched surface.
MARBLE
A small, round toy ball, usually made of glass or stone, used in children's games.
JANGLE
To make a harsh noise, often used in 'jangling nerves,' suggesting anxiety, but it ends in ANGLE.
FEBRILE
Feverish and wildly agitated; often used to describe intense, anxious energy.
DEPLANE
To exit an aircraft; this word ends with PLANE, a flat surface in geometry.
RUNWAY
The long strip of pavement at an airport where planes take off and land.

Puzzle Design Analysis

Why the editor constructed it this way

The editor plants a brilliant double-bluff with DEPLANE, which screams airport but secretly belongs to the wordplay group. JANGLE also baits the anxiety category, while FELINE and APPOINT hide geometry in plain sight. The mix of tactile spheres and emotional synonyms ensures a broad appeal, while the purple group rewards pattern-seekers who can ignore meaning.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
6.2/10
Most deceptive
DEPLANE

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
Geometry Endings

requires lateral thinking

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