Connections Hint
Puzzle #1146 · July 31, 2026

NYT Connections Hints for July 31, 2026

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

Friday, July 31, 2026
Get the hintsSpoiler-free · three levels ↓ Skip to answersJust give me the solution →
Today’s 16 Puzzle Words
Tap any word to see how it’s used in this puzzle
DINOSAURDAPPLEMUSHROOMCHEERIOSGLEEKFASHIONSHAPESPEARPRINCESSMOLDPLUMBERJDATEMODELJOYSTICKFUNGUSSLIME

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • Think of verbs that share a creative hands-on energy.
  • These feel like a cast of characters from a colorful adventure.
  • The words have a secretive twist—focus on their inner parts.
  • There's a hidden burst of happiness tucked inside these terms.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • Each word is a synonym for creating or shaping, often used in art and manufacturing.
  • These are iconic figures from a classic Nintendo video game franchise.
  • These words hide fruit within them; focus on their spelling, not their definitions.
  • The first part of each word means joy or happiness; the rest is something else entirely.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • All four words are verbs that mean to create, construct, or give form.
  • These are archetypes from a classic Nintendo adventure starring a mustachioed hero in overalls.
  • Each term is a common fruit with an extra letter at the start; for instance, an apple becomes something else with a D.
  • They all start with words that express glee, like cheer, fun, or joy.

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.

MOLD

Its meaning as a fungal growth fits eerily well with MUSHROOM and FUNGUS, creating a compelling but false group.

MUSHROOM

Seems to belong with MOLD and FUNGUS as types of fungus, not a video game character.

FUNGUS

Naturally pairs with MUSHROOM and MOLD, making the biological misdirection very tempting.

Connections Answers — July 31, 2026

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
CONSTRUCT
MOLD · FASHION · MODEL · SHAPE
Tap to reveal
SUPER MARIO FIGURES
PRINCESS · MUSHROOM · DINOSAUR · PLUMBER
Tap to reveal
FRUITS PLUS STARTING LETTER
SPEAR · DAPPLE · SLIME · JDATE
Tap to reveal
STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS
JOYSTICK · FUNGUS · CHEERIOS · GLEEK
Tap to reveal
SEE ALSO:
NYT Wordle hints for July 31, 2026 NYT Pips hints for July 31, 2026 NYT Strands hints for July 31, 2026

Category Breakdown — Puzzle #1146

Why each group works — not just what it is

CONSTRUCT

These four verbs—FASHION, MODEL, MOLD, and SHAPE—all mean to create or give form to something. It’s a straightforward synonym group that could be instantly recognized by those tuned to word meanings.

SUPER MARIO FIGURES

These are classic elements from the Mario franchise: a DINOSAUR (Yoshi), a MUSHROOM (power-up or Toad), a PLUMBER (Mario himself), and a PRINCESS (Peach). A nostalgic nod for gamers.

FRUITS PLUS STARTING LETTER

Each word is a fruit with a single letter added at the beginning: DAPPLE (D+APPLE), JDATE (J+DATE), SLIME (S+LIME), SPEAR (S+PEAR). It’s a cunning word puzzle that hides in plain sight.

STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS

These terms start with synonyms for joy: CHEER helps begin CHEERIOS, FUN kicks off FUNGUS, GLEE starts GLEEK, and JOY heads JOYSTICK. The hidden cheerfulness makes the connection delightfully unexpected.

Word Guide — All 16 Puzzle Words

What each word means in this puzzle
DINOSAUR
A prehistoric reptile; here it refers to the character Yoshi from the Super Mario series.
DAPPLE
To mark with spots; here it's a fruit word with an extra letter at the front (apple becomes dapple).
MUSHROOM
A fungal growth; in video games, a power-up that makes a character grow larger.
CHEERIOS
A breakfast cereal; also begins with 'cheer,' a synonym for joy.
GLEEK
An archaic term for a jest or trick; built from 'glee' (joy) plus a letter, rarely used today.
FASHION
To shape or create something with care and skill, like a sculptor fashioning a statue.
SHAPE
To give a particular form or outline to something; a fundamental verb of creation.
SPEAR
A thrusting weapon; also the fruit 'pear' with an 'S' prepended, creating a new word.
PRINCESS
A royal female, like Princess Peach who often needs rescuing in Mario games.
MOLD
To form an object by pressing material into a specific shape; also can refer to a fungal growth (tricky!).
PLUMBER
A person who fixes pipes; famously the profession of Mario and Luigi.
JDATE
Not a standard word; it's the fruit 'date' with a 'J' added, making it a playful coinage.
MODEL
To shape a material such as clay into a particular form; also a verb meaning to create a representation.
JOYSTICK
A video game controller; it leads with 'joy,' a word for happiness.
FUNGUS
A spore-producing organism; it starts with 'fun,' meaning enjoyment.
SLIME
A gooey substance; here it's the fruit 'lime' with an 'S' at the start, not slime as in goo.

Puzzle Design Analysis

Why the editor constructed it this way

The constructor weaves a clever trap by placing MOLD, MUSHROOM, and FUNGUS across three different categories, baiting solvers into a fake fungus group. The Mario theme acts as a palatable anchor, while the fruit and joy wordplay demand lateral thinking. GLEEK, an obscure word, ups the challenge for the purple connection.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
5.5/10
Most deceptive
MOLD

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
STARTING WITH MERRIMENTS

requires lateral thinking

Connections Strategy Guides

Get better at the game

More NYT Connections Puzzles