Connections Hint
Puzzle #1140 · July 25, 2026

NYT Connections Hints for July 25, 2026

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

Saturday, July 25, 2026
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Today’s 16 Puzzle Words
Tap any word to see how it’s used in this puzzle
POKERPRIMOSTEAKLEONEMALLWELLCLUBKWANZAMADRETEARMISTRANDHIJOABUELACHOKENAIRA

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • These words might bring to mind close family ties during a visit abroad.
  • Each of these words can complete a short phrase that captures a teary-eyed moment.
  • These words evoke value and faraway lands, like something you'd exchange for goods.
  • These words follow a certain verb, hinting at something that could be uncovered or exposed.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • These are all words for people you're related to, but from a language spoken across many countries.
  • You'll need to think of a common two-letter preposition that can follow each word, creating a phrase about beginning to cry.
  • These are all official monetary units used in various nations within a single continent.
  • These words each follow the same four-letter verb, forming everyday two-word phrases.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • These are Spanish words for family members—think about how you'd address a relative in a Spanish-speaking country.
  • If you add the word 'up' after each, you get a phrase that means to start sobbing.
  • These are all specific currency names from different African nations, requiring some global trivia.
  • Each of these words is the second half of a common two-word phrase that starts with the verb 'strip'.

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.

TEAR

Can be a verb meaning to rip, leading solvers to group it with words about damage rather than with crying phrases.

POKER

Famous as a card game, it tempts players to place it among other games or gambling terms, but it actually belongs to a risqué phrase.

MALL

Immediately suggests shopping, which might distract from the fact that it completes a phrase starting with a removal verb.

RAND

Looks like a name or an abbreviation, causing solvers to overlook its role as a well-known South African currency.

Connections Answers — July 25, 2026

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
SPANISH RELATIVES
PRIMO · MADRE · HIJO · ABUELA
Tap to reveal
START TO CRY, WITH "UP"
MIST · CHOKE · TEAR · WELL
Tap to reveal
AFRICAN CURRENCIES
LEONE · RAND · NAIRA · KWANZA
Tap to reveal
STRIP ___
STEAK · MALL · POKER · CLUB
Tap to reveal
SEE ALSO:
NYT Wordle hints for July 25, 2026 NYT Pips hints for July 25, 2026 NYT Strands hints for July 25, 2026

Category Breakdown — Puzzle #1140

Why each group works — not just what it is

SPANISH RELATIVES

These are all Spanish words for family members: ABUELA (grandmother), HIJO (son), MADRE (mother), and PRIMO (cousin). A warm, accessible category built on basic vocabulary.

START TO CRY, WITH "UP"

Each word pairs with 'up' to form a phrase about becoming tearful: CHOKE up, MIST up, TEAR up, and WELL up. The trick is recognizing the emotional rather than literal meanings.

AFRICAN CURRENCIES

Four official currencies from the continent: the KWANZA (Angola), LEONE (Sierra Leone), NAIRA (Nigeria), and RAND (South Africa). This group tests niche geographical and economic knowledge.

STRIP ___

Each word completes a phrase beginning with 'strip': strip CLUB, strip MALL, strip POKER, and strip STEAK. Despite their wildly different contexts, they all fit the same simple pattern.

Word Guide — All 16 Puzzle Words

What each word means in this puzzle
POKER
A popular card game involving betting and hand rankings. 'Strip poker' is a playful variant with a clothing-removal penalty.
PRIMO
Spanish for 'cousin,' referring to a male relative descended from one's aunt or uncle. A warm, familial term.
STEAK
A cut of meat from beef or other animals, typically grilled or pan-seared. 'Strip steak' is a specific cut from the short loin.
LEONE
The official currency of Sierra Leone, named after the lion mountains that inspired the country's name. Often unrecognized outside numismatic circles.
MALL
A large shopping center with multiple stores; also part of the phrase 'strip mall,' an outdoor retail complex of adjoining shops.
WELL
A deep hole sunk to obtain water from underground. As a verb, to 'well up' describes tears rising gradually to the surface of the eyes.
CLUB
A group or venue for social, recreational, or entertainment purposes. 'Strip club' is an establishment featuring exotic dancers.
KWANZA
Angola's currency, named after the Kwanza River, a vital waterway flowing through the country. It replaced the escudo in 1977.
MADRE
Spanish for 'mother,' one of the most fundamental and universally recognized family terms across the Spanish-speaking world.
TEAR
A drop of saline liquid from the eye when crying. Also a verb meaning to rip or pull apart, creating a classic puzzle double-meaning.
MIST
Tiny water droplets suspended in air, creating a foggy effect. Figuratively, to 'mist up' means eyes fill with tears from emotion.
RAND
The currency of South Africa, named from the Witwatersrand ridge, site of a major gold discovery in the 19th century.
HIJO
Spanish for 'son,' denoting a male child in direct lineage. Used widely in both formal and affectionate family contexts.
ABUELA
Spanish for 'grandmother,' a cherished family term conveying warmth, wisdom, and matriarchal status in Hispanic cultures.
CHOKE
To struggle to breathe due to a blocked airway. Also, to 'choke up' means to become so emotional that speaking is difficult.
NAIRA
The official currency of Nigeria, introduced in 1973 to replace the pound. Its name is a contraction of 'Nigeria'.

Puzzle Design Analysis

Why the editor constructed it this way

Wyna Liu crafts a globe-spanning puzzle with family warmth, wordplay, and trivia. Spanish relatives offer a gentle on-ramp, while the crying phrasal verbs hide a misdirect—solvers may parse TEAR as rip first. African currencies demand recall of obscure monetary names, and the 'strip' phrases unify seemingly unrelated nouns under a single verb. The dual-nature words like TEAR and POKER are classic Connections traps.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
6.0/10
Most deceptive
TEAR

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
AFRICAN CURRENCIES

requires lateral thinking

Connections Strategy Guides

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