NYT Connections Hints & Answers — Friday, July 3, 2026 (#1118)
Puzzle #1118. Start with a gentle nudge and work down — the full answers are at the bottom, hidden until you ask for them.
Just tell me the answer
The NYT Connections answer for Friday, July 3, 2026 (puzzle #1118) is: YELLOW — POSITIVE FEELINGS: BLISS, FELICITY, HAPPINESS, WARM FUZZIES. GREEN — RETRO EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL: COOL BEANS, FAR OUT, GROOVY, RIGHT ON. BLUE — BAD THINGS TO GIVE SOMEONE: COLD SHOULDER, DIRTY LOOK, HARD TIME, RUNAROUND. PURPLE — WHAT THINGS PRONOUNCED "T" MIGHT REFER TO: GOLF ACCESSORY, GOSSIP, HOT DRINK, SHIRT.
Today's 16 words
The grid exactly as NYT laid it out for Friday, July 3, 2026. Nothing below this point is spoiled until you open it.
HOT DRINK
RUNAROUND
FELICITY
SHIRT
WARM FUZZIES
GOSSIP
COOL BEANS
DIRTY LOOK
COLD SHOULDER
HAPPINESS
RIGHT ON
HARD TIME
FAR OUT
GOLF ACCESSORY
BLISS
GROOVY
How hard is Connections #1118?
Easy35/100
• At least one entry is a phrase rather than a single word.
Where to start: Every category here is meaning-based, so group by topic first and use the four-per-group constraint to settle any word that could go two ways.
Connections hints for Friday, July 3, 2026
Four levels, each giving away a little more. Open only as many as you need.
yellow(the most straightforward group — start here) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about feelings.
green(a little trickier, but still direct) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about approval.
blue(where the misdirection usually starts) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about someone.
purple(the wordplay group, and almost always the last to fall) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about refer.
yellow4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
green4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
blue4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
purple4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
yellowOne member is
greenOne member is
blueOne member is
purpleOne member is
yellow
green
blue
purple
NYT Connections answers for Friday, July 3, 2026
yellow — Easiest
POSITIVE FEELINGS
BLISS · FELICITY · HAPPINESS · WARM FUZZIES
green — Easy
RETRO EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL
COOL BEANS · FAR OUT · GROOVY · RIGHT ON
blue — Tricky
BAD THINGS TO GIVE SOMEONE
COLD SHOULDER · DIRTY LOOK · HARD TIME · RUNAROUND
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Common questions
What is the NYT Connections answer for Friday, July 3, 2026?
The NYT Connections answer for Friday, July 3, 2026 (puzzle #1118) is: YELLOW — POSITIVE FEELINGS: BLISS, FELICITY, HAPPINESS, WARM FUZZIES. GREEN — RETRO EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL: COOL BEANS, FAR OUT, GROOVY, RIGHT ON. BLUE — BAD THINGS TO GIVE SOMEONE: COLD SHOULDER, DIRTY LOOK, HARD TIME, RUNAROUND. PURPLE — WHAT THINGS PRONOUNCED "T" MIGHT REFER TO: GOLF ACCESSORY, GOSSIP, HOT DRINK, SHIRT.
What is the purple group in Connections #1118?
The purple (hardest) group is "WHAT THINGS PRONOUNCED "T" MIGHT REFER TO": GOLF ACCESSORY, GOSSIP, HOT DRINK, SHIRT.
What is the easiest group in today's Connections puzzle?
The yellow group is the most straightforward: "POSITIVE FEELINGS" — BLISS, FELICITY, HAPPINESS, WARM FUZZIES. Solving it first removes four words from the grid.
What number is today's Connections puzzle?
Friday, July 3, 2026 is NYT Connections puzzle #1118. Connections launched on 12 June 2023 with puzzle #1, and a new puzzle is published every day.
What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle come out?
A new Connections puzzle unlocks at midnight in your own local time zone, so the changeover happens at a different moment around the world. The puzzle itself is the same for everyone on a given date.