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Today's puzzle groups stem from phrases with ordinal numerals starting with first, second, third, and last.
The yellow and purple groups contain easier entries, such as those we generally know, like “First Aid” or “Last Resort.”
The blue and green categories become challenging in idiomatic phrases and abstract wordplay, providing a satisfying feeling of mental exertion.
The last day of July brings a clever twist to the NYT Connections puzzle. Today’s grid builds on a simple but surprisingly tricky theme: ordinal phrases. At first glance, these 16 words seem scattered and unrelated, but a closer look reveals a very tidy — and playful — linguistic trick.
The NYT Connections today offers 16 seemingly unrelated words. The words need to be sorted into four groups of four words, with each group of four being linked by a theme. Each group falls under a category that is quite broad and includes categories such as actions, objects, idioms, or some very subtle forms of wordplay.
Yellow is the easiest.
Green and blue fall in the intermediate levels.
Purple is the hardest.
Usually, examples include puns or double meanings. Each guess matters; only four wrong attempts stand between you and the solution. A helpful strategy is to shuffle the grid and look for patterns from different angles.
ROCK, STRAW, EYE, NATURE, NATIONS, FIDDLE, GUESS, LAUGH, COMING, PARTY, RESORT, RESPONDER, LADY, SUPPER, RAIL, AID
A few words immediately jump out as part of idiomatic phrases. Recognizing those turns out to be the key.
Yellow group — associated with “first”
Green group — begins with “second”
Blue group — connected to “third”
Purple group — follows “last”
RESPONDER
NATURE
EYE
RESORT
Yellow group — first ____ (AID, LADY, NATIONS, RESPONDER)
Green group — second ____ (COMING, FIDDLE, GUESS, NATURE)
Blue group — third ____ (EYE, PARTY, RAIL, ROCK)
Purple group — last ____ (LAUGH, RESORT, STRAW, SUPPER)
The puzzle takes off with one word: AID. That triggers recognition of “First Aid,” and the rest of the yellow group falls into place. “First Lady,” “First Nations,” and “First Responder” are common phrases in news and culture.
The purple group gives another helpful anchor: “Last Supper” and “Last Straw” are instantly familiar. From there, “Last Laugh” and “Last Resort” click easily. This set adds a bit of depth with emotional and historical weight.
The blue group turns to the third tier of common phrases: “Third Eye” stands out first. EYE leads to “Third Rail,” “Third Rock,” and “Third Party.” There’s a satisfying logic in how these words refer to unseen power, geography, and politics.
Finally, the green group fills in what’s left. “Second Guess” and “Second Nature” come together naturally. Then “Second Fiddle” and “Second Coming” round out the category. While some of these may be less common in everyday use, they’re still widely known enough to make the group feel cohesive.
NYT Connections answers today deliver a layered word puzzle built on something as simple as a numbered order — first, second, third, last — but executed with flair. Rather than obscure trivia and weird facts, it relies on the ability to appreciate a familiar pattern of language.
The joy of solving today's puzzle does not only stem from finishing the puzzle but also from the recognition of how common these expressions are in everyday speech, culture, media, and sometimes religion. There’s a nice balance between logic and intuition in this one.
Those still hunting for the NYT Connections hints today might find that focusing on idioms and common pairings helps lead to victory. For fans who love the puzzle’s linguistic quirks, today’s game offers one of the most elegant themes in recent memory.
More fun ahead tomorrow — keep an eye out for fresh NYT Connections hints and answers!
