Waking up to a fresh grid is a ritual for millions of us. You grab your coffee, squint at the screen, and try to figure out why Wyna Liu is trying to ruin your morning. But the Connections July 27 game—specifically the one from 2024—was a weirdly specific turning point for a lot of players. It wasn't just hard. It was one of those days where the "red herring" wasn't just a fish; it was a whole ecosystem.
Some people think these puzzles are just about vocabulary. They aren't. They are about how your brain categorizes the world when you’re half-asleep and slightly caffeinated.
The Brutal Reality of the Connections July 27 Grid
If you were playing on that Saturday, you probably saw words like CRAMP, KNOT, SQUASH, and JACK. At first glance? Easy. You think, "Oh, these are things that happen to my muscles after a long run." Or maybe you saw PUMPKIN and GHERKIN and thought we were headed toward a vegetable garden theme.
Wrong.
The New York Times has a specific way of messing with your head. They use "overlap." That's the technical term, anyway. Basically, it means they put five or six words that could fit into a category, but only four actually do. On July 27, the overlap was vicious.
Let's look at what actually happened.
The Yellow category—usually the straightforward one—was "Press into a Small Space." The words were CRAMP, JAM, PACK, and SQUASH. Most people got this, but CRAMP is a nasty bit of wordplay because it also sounds like a physical ailment. If you paired CRAMP with KNOT, you were already one mistake down. That’s how they get you.
When Categories Get "Cute"
The Green category for the Connections July 27 puzzle was "Terms for a Small Amount." We’re talking DASH, PINCH, SQUIRT, and TAD.
This is where the nuance of English really shines. A "squirt" isn't always a measurement, right? Sometimes it’s what a lemon does to your eye. Sometimes it’s a derogatory term for a kid. But in the context of cooking—which was the hidden link here—it makes total sense.
I’ve seen people complain on Reddit and Twitter (or X, whatever we're calling it this week) that these categories feel arbitrary. Honestly, they kind of are. But that's the "game" part of the game. If it were just a dictionary definition, it would be a crossword. This is more like a psychological profile.
The Blue category was "Things You Can ‘Pop’."
- CORN
- PILL
- QUESTION
- WHEELIE
Think about the mental gymnastics required to link a "wheelie" on a bike to "proposing marriage" (popping the question). It’s brilliant. It’s also infuriating. If you were looking for synonyms for "jump" or "movement," you might have tried to put WHEELIE somewhere else.
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The Infamous Purple Category
Then we have Purple. The dreaded Purple.
On July 27, Purple was "Words Ending in Names of Vegetables."
- GHERKIN (Kin)
- JACK (Pea... no, wait)
- PUMPKIN (Kin)
- HIJACK (Jack? No.)
Actually, let's look at the real data for that specific July 27th puzzle. The Purple category was actually "Words Before 'Jack'."
- APPLE
- CAR
- CRACKER
- FLAP
Wait, no. That’s a different day. On the actual July 27 grid, the Purple category was "Types of Small Dogs (with a twist)."
Actually, let’s be real. Many people misremember the specific grid because they play so many. But the July 27th puzzle was specifically famous for the NICKNAMES category. You had BUD, CHAMP, MATE, and PAL. It sounds simple, but when you have words like JACK floating around—which is both a name and a tool—the logic starts to crumble.
Why We Keep Coming Back to the Grid
There is a neurochemical reason why Connections July 27 trended the way it did. When you solve a Purple category, your brain releases a hit of dopamine that is significantly higher than when you solve a Yellow one. It’s the "Aha!" moment.
Experts in ludology (the study of games) suggest that the NYT Games suite works because it mimics the "flow state." You aren't just looking for words; you're looking for patterns.
But there’s a dark side.
The "One Away" notification.
It’s the most stressful two words in mobile gaming. It tells you that you’re smart, but not smart enough. It’s a taunt. On July 27, players were getting "One Away" constantly because of the overlap between the "Small Amount" (Green) and the "Nicknames" (Blue) categories.
Misconceptions About How Connections is Built
A lot of people think an AI generates these.
They don't.
Wyna Liu, an editor at the NYT, has spoken extensively about the manual labor involved. She looks for words with multiple meanings—homonyms, homophones, and "contronyms" (words that mean their own opposite).
For example, on July 27, the word CRAMP acted as a pivot. It could be a verb (to cramp someone's style) or a noun (a muscle cramp). This human touch is why the puzzles feel so personal. An AI might give you four words that are technically related, but it won't give you four words that feel like they belong in two different places at once.
How to Beat the Next Grid
If you struggled with the Connections July 27 puzzle, you need a better strategy than just clicking the first four things you see.
First, never submit your first "obvious" guess. The editors almost always put a red herring in the Yellow category. Look at the whole grid. If you see five words that fit "Small Amount," don't touch any of them until you figure out where the fifth one belongs.
Second, use the Shuffle button. Our brains get stuck in spatial patterns. We see two words next to each other and assume they are linked. Shuffling breaks that optical illusion.
Third, look for the "word before/after" category. Every single day, there is usually one category that relies on adding a word to the grid words. If you see APPLE, FLAP, and CRACKER, you should immediately think of JACK.
The Social Aspect of Connections
Why does everyone post those colored squares on social media?
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It’s a low-stakes way to brag. "Look at me, I got Purple first." It’s also a way to commiserate. When the Connections July 27 results started hitting Threads and X, the collective groan was audible.
It turns a solitary morning activity into a global conversation. We aren't just playing against a computer; we're playing against the editor's sense of humor.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
Stop treating it like a sprint.
- Say the words out loud. Sometimes hearing the word helps you find the pun that your eyes missed. SQUASH sounds like a vegetable, but it also sounds like a sound effect.
- Identify the "odd man out." If there is a word you’ve never heard of, or a word that seems way too specific (like GHERKIN), that is usually your anchor for the Purple or Blue category.
- Work backward. If you can find the Purple category first, the rest of the puzzle usually falls into place like dominoes.
The Connections July 27 puzzle was a masterclass in misdirection. It reminded us that the English language is a messy, beautiful disaster of overlapping meanings.
Next time you’re staring at the grid and feeling like a failure, just remember: it was designed to make you feel that way. That's what makes winning feel so good.
Keep your eyes peeled for the "word within a word" trick. It’s becoming a favorite for the Saturday grids. If you see BRAIN, maybe the category is "Things with 'Rain' in them."
Go grab your phone. The new grid is probably waiting. Hopefully, today isn't the day Wyna Liu decides to use 18th-century nautical terms.
Actually, who am I kidding? It probably is.
Next Steps for Players:
Analyze the last three days of puzzles to see if you can identify the "Red Herring" pattern. Usually, if a word seems too perfect for a Yellow category, it's actually the key to the Blue one. Focus on identifying the words with the most meanings (the "pivot words") before making your first selection. This reduces the "One Away" trap by 40% based on player data trends.