NYT Connections Answers Today (July 16): Fasteners, Kitchen Clues, Tupperware Picks & A Key Trick

NYT Connections Answers: Puzzle #766 brought a mix of obvious themes and one curveball. Players familiar with daily household items may have had a smooth start, but the final group demanded more abstract thinking. The goal remained the same: sort 16 words into four groups of four, with increasing difficulty from yellow to purple.

The New York Times’ Connections puzzle continues to test players with a clever mix of logic, language, and wordplay. If you struggled to make all the right groupings today, here's a complete breakdown of each category along with a bit of context to help make sense of the trickier links.

Yellow Group: Think Clothing Fasteners

Each of these words refers to something that fastens or secures clothing, often seen on jackets, trousers, or accessories.

Answers: BUTTON, HOOK, SNAP, ZIP

This group was the easiest to spot. These fastening items are familiar to anyone who has ever done up a coat or bag. With their practical, physical use, this category was straightforward and likely the first one players completed.

Green Group: Common Kitchen Appliances

All four are standard electric appliances found in most kitchens, used for food preparation, heating, or storage.

Answers: BLENDER, FREEZER, MICROWAVE, TOASTER

A solid mid-level group. Anyone with a modern kitchen setup would recognise these right away. These aren’t specialty tools, they’re everyday essentials, making this a comfortable win for most players.

Blue Group: Items Sold by Tupperware

These words represent objects that are typically used to store, pour, or serve food; especially under the Tupperware brand.

Answers: BOWL, CONTAINER, JUG, LID

This category was brand-influenced but still quite accessible. "Container" and "lid" helped anchor the group. "Jug" may have thrown a few players off at first, but once the food-storage theme clicked, the rest fell into place easily.

Purple Group: Combine With ‘Key’

Each of these words pairs with “key” to create a commonly known compound word or phrase.

Answers: CARD, CHAIN, CLUB, WORD

This was the most challenging group. It relied more on language patterns than category logic. “Keyword” and “keychain” were likely the entry points. “Keyclub” may have been unfamiliar to some, making this set feel more obscure than the others. Still, once you spotted the pairing theme, it became clear.

Today’s Connections puzzle offered a nice balance. The yellow and green sets leaned into functional knowledge, while the blue group tested familiarity with everyday brands. The purple category asked for a shift in approach, one rooted in language and compounds rather than shared usage. Whether you solved it smoothly or took a few wrong turns, puzzle #766 was a satisfying mix of categories and thinking styles.

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