NYT Connections — July 16, 2026

Today's puzzle mixes a beauty-routine category, a color-family category, an abstract-quality category, and a sneaky wordplay category built around small symbols.

One easy group is all about a skincare regimen — think of steps and products you'd use on your face.

The trickiest group isn't about meaning at all — every entry actually starts with a word that names a tiny dot or mark, and those two-word phrases mean something totally different as a whole.

Watch out for a word tied to sewing or tattoos — it seems like it could belong with beauty products, but it's actually grouped with things known for exactness and accuracy.

Look for phrases beginning with "Dot," "Period," "Point," and "Spot" — that's your purple giveaway, while the other three groups sort into a face-care set, a dark-color set, and a precision-themed set.