TodayHint

Connections July 10, 2026: Hints & Answers (#1197)

edited by Wyna Liu.

Recap

The puzzle featured four groups of four words each, ranging from common smartphone settings to influential '80s synth-pop bands. Solvers had to find connections between words in each group, with some cards being tricky to place.

The sixteen tiles

The sixteen tiles as dealt. Reveal a group below to tint and caption its tiles here.

OUTKASTDEPECHE MODEFRESH-BAKEDBALL GOWNDO NOT DISTURBÀ LA MODESTRIKE A POSEAIRPLANE MODEERASURESAFE MODEDECADENTNEW ORDERHOTSPOTPET SHOP BOYSMOLTENLOCATION SERVICES

Connections hints, one rung at a time

Six rungs, softest first. The recap above already named the groups, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the board fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.

  1. Four one-line nudges, one per group

    The softest hint there is.

    Yellow
    Phone features
    Green
    Sweet treats
    Blue
    Synth-pop acts
    Purple
    Baseball terms
  2. What linked each group, described

    Still no titles and no tiles named.

    Yellow group

    Options you might adjust on your device to change how it functions or interacts with you

    Green group

    Phrases used to entice customers with appealing descriptions of rich desserts

    Blue group

    Influential bands from the 1980s known for their electronic sound and iconic music videos

    Purple group

    Phrases commonly used by umpires during a game, now applied in other contexts

  3. Board facts

    Counted off the sixteen printed tiles.

    Sixteen tiles, four groups of four, ordered yellow → green → blue → purple from most to least obvious. 10 of the sixteen tiles were more than one word.

    Tiles
    16 across 4 groups
    Longest tile
    17 characters
    Shortest tile
    6 characters
    Multi-word tiles
    10
    Back to the sixteen tiles
  4. The trap on this board

    Which tiles pulled in two directions.

    Some cards could fit into multiple categories at first glance. Be cautious with words that have multiple meanings or applications, such as 'mode' or 'pose'.

  5. The four category titles

    Half the answer.

    Yellow
    SMARTPHONE SETTINGS
    Green
    DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS
    Blue
    '80S SYNTH-POP BANDS
    Purple
    STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS
  6. One tile from each group

    The anchor most people misplaced, matched to its title.

    Yellow — SMARTPHONE SETTINGS
    LOCATION SERVICES
    Green — DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS
    MOLTEN
    Blue — '80S SYNTH-POP BANDS
    PET SHOP BOYS
    Purple — STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS
    STRIKE A POSE
    Open the full groupings

Every Connections group from that board

All four groups, folded. Opening one tints its four tiles above and captions them with the category name.

  • Yellow group · 4 tiles

    SMARTPHONE SETTINGS

    AIRPLANE MODE, DO NOT DISTURB, HOTSPOT, LOCATION SERVICES. The yellow group, 'SMARTPHONE SETTINGS', consists of 'AIRPLANE MODE', 'DO NOT DISTURB', 'HOTSPOT', and 'LOCATION SERVICES'.

  • Green group · 4 tiles

    DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS

    DECADENT, FRESH-BAKED, MOLTEN, À LA MODE. The green group, 'DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS', consists of 'DECADENT', 'FRESH-BAKED', 'MOLTEN', and 'À LA MODE'.

  • Blue group · 4 tiles

    '80S SYNTH-POP BANDS

    DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER, PET SHOP BOYS. The blue group, ''80S SYNTH-POP BANDS', consists of 'DEPECHE MODE', 'ERASURE', 'NEW ORDER', and 'PET SHOP BOYS'.

  • Purple group · 4 tiles

    STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS

    BALL GOWN, OUTKAST, SAFE MODE, STRIKE A POSE. The purple group, 'STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS', consists of 'BALL GOWN', 'OUTKAST', 'SAFE MODE', and 'STRIKE A POSE'.

This board by the numbers

Puzzle
(#1197) · Friday, July 10, 2026
Tiles
16 in a 4 × 4 grid
Groups
4, yellow to purple
Multi-word tiles
10
Longest tile
LOCATION SERVICES
Mistakes allowed
4 before the board locked

More Connections

See the live Connections hints and answers page for the current board, or browse every archived Connections date by month.

Try the other two puzzles