NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, July 4 (game #1119)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, July 3 (game #1118).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1119) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

LINGER

SPOT

EPIC

DREAMS

ZOMBIE

ODE

PEA

SCORPION

LAST

HURRICANE

NOTHINGS

STAY

BALLAD

CONTINUE

PAINKILLER

VILLANELLE

NYT Connections today (game #1119) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: Not leaving…

GREEN: Lyrical formats

BLUE: Tiki bar classics

PURPLE: Begin with a sugary word

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

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NYT Connections today (game #1119) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: PERSIST

GREEN: KINDS OF POEMS

BLUE: TROPICAL DRINKS

PURPLE: SWEET __

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1119) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1119, are…

YELLOW: PERSIST CONTINUE, LAST, LINGER, STAY

GREEN: KINDS OF POEMS BALLAD, EPIC, ODE, VILLANELLE

BLUE: TROPICAL DRINKS HURRICANE, PAINKILLER, SCORPION, ZOMBIE

PURPLE: SWEET __ DREAMS, NOTHINGS, PEA, SPOT

My rating: Hard

My score: Perfect

I came into this game expecting Fourth of July themes — fireworks, Tom Cruise, stars and stripes — and saw none whatsoever.

I did, though, immediately see VILLANELLE, which I know as the character from Killing Eve, but also as a very strictly structured poetic format. Seeing no other fictional assassins I confidently added EPIC, ODE and BALLAD and felt very intellectual about myself until being rewarded with a lowly green.

With eight tiles left I saw the link with the word SWEET __ — a good job, as the quartet of tropical drinks is something I had no knowledge of.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, July 3, game #1118)

YELLOW: POSITIVE FEELINGS BLISS, FELICITY, HAPPINESS, WARM FUZZIES

GREEN: RETRO EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL COOL BEANS, FAR OUT, GROOVY, RIGHT ON

BLUE: BAD THINGS TO GIVE SOMEONE COLD SHOULDER, DIRTY LOOK, HARD TIME, RUNAROUND

PURPLE: WHAT THINGS PRONOUNCED "T" MIGHT REFER TO GOLF ACCESSORY, GOSSIP, HOT DRINK, SHIRT

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.