Today’s NYT Connections puzzle includes the names of some musical groups — the Hives, White Stripes, Strokes and Vines. But it should surprise no one who’s played this game for a while that they don’t all fit into a “band” category. What was it that Admiral Akbar once said? “It’s a trap!” Read on for hints and today’s Connections answers.

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Ouch, what a pain.

Green group hint: Fore!

Blue group hint: Social-media writings.

Purple group hint: Black-and-white animal.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Green group: On a golf scorecard.

Blue group: Platform-specific posts.

Purple group: Features of a zebra.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The completed NYT Connections puzzle for July 22, 2026.

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is symptoms of an allergic reaction.

The four answers are hives, itching, rash and redness.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is on a golf scorecard.

The four answers are hole, par, score and strokes.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is platform-specific posts.

The four answers are pins, snaps, tweets and vines.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is features of a zebra.

The four answers are hooves, mane, tail and white stripes.

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
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