If you woke up this morning and felt like the world was gaslighting you with a grid of 16 words, you aren't alone. Honestly, today's NYT Connections July 17 puzzle is a masterclass in the kind of "wait, what?" logic that has made Wyna Liu both a hero and a villain in the puzzle community.
It's Saturday. You just want your coffee. But instead, you're staring at "WU-TANG" and "CAMISOLE" wondering if they have anything in common besides being things you might find in a very specific type of thrift store.
The Red Herrings Are Everywhere
The thing about the NYT Connections July 17 board is that it sets a massive trap for anyone who grew up in the 90s. Look at the words: SNOOP, BIGGIE, PAC, and WU-TANG. It screams hip-hop. Your brain probably did a little victory lap the second you saw them. "Easy," you thought. "That's the blue or purple category right there."
Wrong.
That is what the pros call a red herring. It’s a classic Wyna Liu move—grouping words that look like a perfect set but actually belong to three different categories. SNOOP belongs with the "meddling" crowd. BIGGIE and PAC are split between "No_____" phrases and "Super____" prefixes. It’s brutal.
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Breaking Down the July 17 Groups
If you're stuck, let's look at how these actually shake out. The yellow group is usually the "straight man" of the puzzle. Today, it’s all about being a busybody.
- Meddle (Yellow): NOSE AROUND, POKE, PRY, SNOOP.
You've probably used all of these to describe a nosy neighbor. It’s the most straightforward group on the board, though "POKE" might have tripped you up if you were still thinking about Pokémon or social media from 2005.
The green group is a bit more colloquial. It’s that "don't worry about it" vibe.
- Words After "No" to Mean "It's All Good" (Green): BIGGIE, HARD FEELINGS, SWEAT, WORRIES.
Think: "No biggie," "No sweat." It’s conversational. It’s breezy. It's also where one of those rapper names finally found a home.
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The "Super" Confusion
Now, the blue group is where things get nerdy.
- Super ____ (Blue): GLUE, MARIO WORLD, PAC, POWER.
"Super PAC" is a political reference that might not be the first thing on your mind during a weekend word game. And "Super Mario World"? That’s a deep nostalgia hit. If you were looking for a "video game" category with MARIO and PAC, you were halfway there, but the connection was the prefix, not the medium.
Why the Purple Category is "Fin-tastic" (Sorry)
The purple category today is the one that's going to cause the most drama in the group chats.
- Ending with Fish (Purple): CAMISOLE, CAPE COD, DRUM AND BASS, WU-TANG.
Wait. What?
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Basically, you have to look at the end of each word or phrase.
- Camisole (Sole is a fish).
- Cape Cod (Cod is a fish).
- Drum and Bass (Bass is a fish).
- Wu-Tang (A Tang is a tropical fish).
Yes, a Tang is a fish. Dory from Finding Nemo is a Regal Tang. If you didn't know that, you probably spent ten minutes wondering why a legendary rap group was being paired with a piece of lingerie and a Massachusetts vacation spot.
Strategy for Future Grids
Don't commit too early. That’s the big takeaway from NYT Connections July 17. If you see a group that looks too perfect—like four legendary rappers—it's almost certainly a trap.
- Shuffle often. Your brain gets stuck in "spatial patterns." If SNOOP is next to BIGGIE, you’ll keep seeing them as a pair. Hit that shuffle button to break the visual link.
- Look for "hidden" words. If you see a long word like CAMISOLE, try to see if it contains or ends with another word. This is a very common "Purple" tactic.
- Say it out loud. Sometimes saying "No Biggie" or "No Sweat" makes the connection click in a way that just reading the words doesn't.
If you're ready to tackle the next one, keep these patterns in mind. Wyna loves her prefixes, suffixes, and pop culture misdirection.
To keep your streak alive, try scanning the board for words that have zero obvious connections first. Usually, those are the anchors for the harder categories like the fish-ending one we saw today.