Complete solution guide for all July 31, 2026 NYT puzzles, including Mini, Daily Crossword, Connections, and Strands.
Key Highlights
- Mini solves advice phrase.
- Friday crossword is themeless.
- Connections features Mario characters.
- Strands spangram is Leo.
Puzzle lovers around the globe faced an exciting lineup of brainteasers from The New York Times on July 31, 2026. Whether you got stuck on a tricky clue or simply want to verify your answers, here is the complete breakdown of today’s solutions across all major games.
NYT Mini Crossword Answers
Today’s Mini puzzle featured a neat interconnected clue pattern. The combination of 1-Across, 8-Across, and 1-Down formed the classic advice phrase LIVE AND LEARN.
Here is the full solution list:
Across: 1-Across is LIVE, 5-Across is LEVEL, 6-Across is PAIRS, 7-Across is GREY, and 8-Across is AND.
Down: 1-Down is LEARN, 2-Down is IVIED, 3-Down is VERY, 4-Down is ELS, and 5-Down is LPGA.
Friday Daily Crossword Overview
Constructed by Rafael Musa, today’s full-sized daily crossword delivered a balanced medium difficulty challenge with a classic themeless Friday layout. The grid offered a fun mix of modern slang and traditional trivia.
Key clues and standout answers included:
TARTLET for a palm-sized pastry
DRAGONS DEN as the British counterpart to Shark Tank
MID for "just OK" in modern lingo
VAX for a shot, colloquially
LEI for a friendship chain
ROE for tobiko or masago
NYT Connections Groupings (#1146)
Connections game #1146 tested solvers with subtle word associations and playful letter tricks. The four completed color-coded categories were:
Construct (Yellow): FASHION, MODEL, MOLD, SHAPE
Super Mario Figures (Green): DINOSAUR, MUSHROOM, PLUMBER, PRINCESS
Fruits Plus Starting Letter (Blue): DAPPLE, JDATE, SLIME, SPEAR
Starting With Merriments (Purple): CHEERIOS, FUNGUS, GLEEK, JOYSTICK
NYT Strands Theme and Spangram (#880)
Strands puzzle #880 embraced an astrological motif under the theme "Summer sign."
The main Spangram running across the board was LEOTHELION. Surrounding it were six theme words highlighting classic Leo personality traits: BOLD, DRAMATIC, BOSSY, LOYAL, GENEROUS, and CHARMING.