NYT Connections · #1126
NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1126) — July 11, 2026
Lock in the two obvious groups first, then use what's left to untangle the harder ones — the green group in particular has a word that looks like it belongs somewhere else entirely.
Traps & Misdirects for July 11, 2026
The decoys built into this puzzle — and why each one bites.
STILL Decoy
You're probably reading it as an adverb meaning 'yet', or noticing how close it sounds to STILTS on the same grid — but the puzzle is using it as an adjective, not a connecting word or a circus prop.
CANNON Decoy
You're probably picturing a military weapon or a famous surname — but the puzzle is using it in a very specific performance context, not warfare.
EBBING Decoy
You're probably thinking of a receding tide, which pulls hard toward the water-themed group — but the puzzle is using it for a structural reason buried inside the word itself, not its meaning.
BOCCE Decoy
You're probably reading it as an Italian lawn game with no obvious home here — but like EBBING, the puzzle cares about what's inside the spelling, not what the word means.
NYT Connections Word Clues for July 11, 2026
Spoiler-free meaning for every word in the grid.
AARDVARK
Contains AA — A is the 1st letter of the alphabet, and the double A sits right at the start of the word.
BOCCE
Contains CC — C is the 3rd letter, and the double C sits right in the middle of the word.
BO PEEP
The porcelain shepherdess who loses her sheep — and gains a much tougher role in later films.
CALM
The most familiar word for undisturbed water — no twist, just the straightforward sense.
CANNON
Looks like a weapon; here it's the launch device for a human cannonball act.
EBBING
Looks like a water word because of its meaning, but the puzzle wants the BB inside it — B is the 2nd letter.
FLAT
Describes water with no ripple or wave — not the shoe type or the musical note.
GLASSY
Water so smooth it reflects like a mirror — the most vivid image of the four.
JESSIE
The yodelling cowgirl introduced in Toy Story 2.
SLINKY
The spring-bodied dog — also appeared in a past puzzle about close-fitting clothing, which is the decoy reading.
STILL
Sounds like STILTS and has played many roles in past puzzles, but here it simply means motionless, undisturbed water.
STILTS
The tall poles that let performers tower over the crowd.
TRAPEZE
The swinging bar high above the sawdust that acrobats fly between.
TWIDDLE
Contains DD — D is the 4th letter of the alphabet, completing the AA/BB/CC/DD set.
UNICYCLE
One wheel, no handlebars — a circus staple that jugglers love to combine with their act.
WOODY
The pull-string cowboy and Andy's favourite — previously appeared in puzzles about Tom Hanks roles and cartoon birds.
NYT Connections Hints for July 11, 2026
Reveal exactly what you need — a hint, the group name, or a single word.
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NYT Connections Answers for July 11, 2026
Full spoilers — all four groups revealed.
Yellow group
Circus equipment
- CANNON
- STILTS
- TRAPEZE
- UNICYCLE
CANNON, STILTS, TRAPEZE and UNICYCLE are all classic circus equipment or acts. CANNON is the sneakiest — most solvers picture artillery before the human cannonball act clicks into place.
Green group
Undisturbed, as water
- CALM
- FLAT
- GLASSY
- STILL
CALM, FLAT, GLASSY and STILL all describe water that is smooth and undisturbed. STILL is the trickiest — it sounds like STILTS on the same grid and has appeared in Connections many times in other roles, so solvers are primed to doubt it here.
Blue group
"toy story" characters
- BO PEEP
- JESSIE
- SLINKY
- WOODY
BO PEEP, JESSIE, SLINKY and WOODY are all characters from the Toy Story franchise. WOODY is the most loaded word on the grid — it has previously appeared as a Tom Hanks role and as a cartoon bird, so solvers may hesitate before placing it here.
Purple group
Double letters appearing in that letter's alphabetical position
- AARDVARK
- BOCCE
- EBBING
- TWIDDLE
AARDVARK (AA — A is the 1st letter), BOCCE (CC — C is the 3rd letter), EBBING (BB — B is the 2nd letter) and TWIDDLE (DD — D is the 4th letter) each contain a pair of consecutive identical letters whose alphabetical position matches that letter's place in the alphabet. EBBING is the cruelest trap — its meaning (a receding tide) screams water, but the puzzle only cares about the BB hiding inside it.