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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're an old soul.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 3, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Good vibes

• Green: Old sayings

• Blue: Bad vibes

• Purple: One letter

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Positive feelings

• Green: Retro expressions of approval

• Blue: Bad things to give someone

• Purple: What things pronounced "T" might refer to

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1118 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Positive feelings: BLISS, FELICITY, HAPPINESS, WARM FUZZIES

• Retro expressions of approval: COOL BEANS, FAR OUT, GROOVY, RIGHT ON

• Bad things to give someone: COLD SHOULDER, DIRTY LOOK, HARD TIME, RUNAROUND

• What things pronounced "T" might refer to: GOLF ACCESSORY, GOSSIP, HOT DRINK, SHIRT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 3, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're stuck in your ways.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 3, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's like talking to a brick wall

The words are related to strength.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe being unshakable.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Not Budging.

NYT Strands word list for July 3

• Obstinate

• Willful

• Headstrong

• Firm

• Not Budging

• Stubborn

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

If your iCloud storage is full, there's an easy way to clear space on your iPhone before resorting to paying for more storage. CNET’s Bridget Carey’s quick tips target the largest videos and photos first.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a runner.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 3, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 3, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Track and field accessory.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

BATON

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

Time goes by so slowly when you're waiting for the queen of late arrivals, Madonna, in a steamy London club space on a Thursday night. But it's Mother. You wait.

Following a Times Square takeover with Grindr to kick off Pride Month, the queen of pop once again linked up with the GBTQ dating app to launch her new album, Confessions II. The official sequel to her 2005 record Confessions On A Dance Floor, the album is out today, with Madonna showcasing tracks to a buzzing, buff, and beautiful crowd of Grindr guests on Thursday.

SEE ALSO: Madonna streamed a surprise concert on Grindr

Thousands excitedly queued down the street outside Magazine in Greenwich, as a colossal pair of inflatable legs akimbo, clad in laced up pink boots, towered over the Thames, cheekily serving as the literal entrance to the listening party venue.

My iPhone 12's shittiness actually captures the steam well. Credit: Shannon Connellan / Mashable

Punters and celebs alike stepped through the giant vulva door, from Kate Moss to Daisy Edgar Jones, phones up. Decked out in thick plastic strips, pink lasers, and industrial steel, the venue's air felt thick with sweat, anticipation, and the collective knowledge we'd be in for a late one. And hope, that Madonna would actually be there (reader, she was).

Credit: Grindr Credit: Grindr

It's a major branding moment for an ongoing partnership between Grindr and Warner Records. As Wired's account of the Times Square event, which was livestreamed within the Grindr app in a first-of-its-kind online moment, says, "For Grindr users, the advertising for Madonna’s 15th album has been hard to miss." The campaign has seen the Grindr app brimming with Madonna features, including a pink icon geolocating the artist in the grid of nearby users, original interviews, exclusive vinyl preorders, and the ability to save Madonna's albums as kink tags. At the London party, Grindr's unmistakable mask logo was everywhere, from the bathroom tiles to wall projections.

Credit: Grindr

Arriving on the stage just after midnight (we expect it), following banger sets from Horse Meat Disco and Jodie Harsh, a pink-gloved and pink-bustiered Madonna happily shared the stage with producer Stuart Price and Honey Dijon for just under an hour. The iconic artist, now 67 and brimming with more energy than ever, sang over selections from her fifteenth studio album, including singles "I Feel So Free," Sabrina Carpenter duet "Bring Your Love," and "Love Sensation." (Flashing warning for the below video, friends.)

A dutiful sea of phone screens rose and receded with every new song, the inevitable moment-capturing a must in such a coveted event, especially when Madonna dropped into her 2005 Confessions On A Dance Floor smash hit "Hung Up."

Credit: Grindr

Though a promo event, the sense of community within the Confessions II party was undeniable, an adoring audience of LGBTQ+ fans celebrating an artist synonymous with genuine love and advocacy for the queer community.

And while it took me 200 years to get home, Mother's always worth it.

You don't really need to speak Spanish to understand everything Penélope Cruz says during her Hot Ones episode. Context and body language are more than enough.

In the clip above The Invite star sits down opposite Sean Evans to take on increasingly spicy wings, while answering questions about everything from her new movie to her favorite European meals.

The highlight? Frantic ice cream consumption.