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July 28, 2026#1143archive

NYT Connections — July 28, 2026

Looking for today's NYT Connections? →

Hints — one at a time

Hint 1 of 5

Today's board mixes words for leading a group, apple varieties, shoe brands, and words hiding palindromic first names.

Hint 2 of 5

The easiest set is a row of words that all mean to be in charge or steer something.

Hint 3 of 5

Another set names different types of apples you'd find at a grocery store or orchard.

Hint 4 of 5

A third set is footwear brands that all happen to start with the letter C.

Hint 5 of 5

The trickiest set hides short palindromic names like Anna, Bob, Eve, and Otto inside longer words.

The answer — spoilers!

Reveal the full answer
  • yellow

    Ways To Lead Or Be In Charge

    CAPTAIN · DIRECT · HEAD · LEAD

  • green

    Apple Varieties

    EMPIRE · FUJI · GALA · HONEYCRISP

  • blue

    Shoe Brands Starting With C

    CAMPER · CLARKS · CONVERSE · CROCS

  • purple

    Hide Palindromic Names (Anna, Bob, Eve, Otto)

    ANNAPOLIS · BOBSLED · EVEREST · OTTOMAN

This puzzle by the numbers

Hardest group (purple)
Hide Palindromic Names (Anna, Bob, Eve, Otto)
Longest word on the board
HONEYCRISP

Counted from our own archive of NYT Connections answers — not published anywhere else.

A solved Connections-style board: sixteen word tiles sorted into four coloured rows of four — fruits, gemstones, instruments and planets
A solved Connections grid: four groups of four, one colour each. Example board, not today’s puzzle.