NYT Connections · #1129

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1129) — July 14, 2026

When a word feels like it belongs in two places, ask which group needs it most — the Edit menu group is the cleanest anchor on this grid, so lock that in first.

COPY and CUT both have history here. COPY appeared most recently in Connections #1014 (Jan 21, 2026) as a word meaning to plagiarize, and before that in Connections #977 (Jan 4, 2026) among types of publications. CUT appeared in Connections #632 (Feb 5, 2025) among things you do with a deck of cards.

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Traps & Misdirects for July 14, 2026

The decoys built into this puzzle — and why each one bites.

CUT Decoy

You're probably thinking of 'cut a deal' — a very natural phrase — but here the puzzle is using it as a software command, not contract language.

COPY Decoy

You're likely reading it as a duplicate document or a copy of a contract, but here it's a keyboard-and-menu action, not a noun.

SHUFFLE Decoy

You're probably picturing cards being shuffled — which could suggest a deal or a card game — but here it's a symbol you tap on a screen, not a table action.

RECYCLING Decoy

You're probably picturing a bin, which could suggest a basket — but here it's an icon defined by its arrows, not its container.

NYT Connections Word Clues for July 14, 2026

Spoiler-free meaning for every word in the grid.

AGREEMENT

The most formal-sounding of the four — the word lawyers put at the top of documents.

BARGAIN

Also means a good price, which is the bait; here it means a mutual agreement between two parties.

COPY

Looks like a noun meaning a duplicate, but here it's the command that puts selected text on your clipboard without removing it.

CUT

Feels like contract language ('cut a deal'), but here it's the command that removes selected text and sends it to the clipboard.

DEAL

Casual synonym for agreement — as in 'we have a deal' after negotiations end.

DELETE

The most literal of the four — removes selected content with no clipboard involved.

EASTER

The seasonal one — filled with eggs and chocolate once a year.

GROCERY

The practical everyday basket, now mostly replaced by plastic bags but still the classic image.

LAUNDRY

No occasion needed — just a pile of clothes waiting to be washed.

PASTE

Could read as an adhesive substance, but here it's the command that drops clipboard content into your document.

PICNIC

The wicker one with a lid, packed with sandwiches and a checkered cloth.

RECYCLING

Its universal symbol is three arrows chasing each other in a triangle — easy to mistake for a basket category because of the bin.

SHUFFLE

The music-player icon shows two arrows crossing paths — could suggest card play, but it's the arrow symbol that matters here.

THIS SIDE UP

The shipping label with a bold upward arrow telling handlers which way the box goes.

UNDERSTANDING

An informal agreement, often unwritten — 'we have an understanding' between us.

U-TURN

The road sign shows a single arrow bending 180 degrees back on itself.

NYT Connections Hints for July 14, 2026

Reveal exactly what you need — a hint, the group name, or a single word.

See hint
What you shake hands on after both sides say yes.
See group
CONTRACT
See word
AGREEMENT
See word
BARGAIN
See word
DEAL
See word
UNDERSTANDING
See hint
Four things you find under the same dropdown when you're working on a document.
See group
EDIT MENU OPTIONS
See word
COPY
See word
CUT
See word
DELETE
See word
PASTE
See hint
Each one gets carried by hand and holds something for a specific occasion.
See group
KINDS OF BASKETS
See word
EASTER
See word
GROCERY
See word
LAUNDRY
See word
PICNIC
See hint
You recognise each of these instantly on a sign or a screen — no words needed.
See group
SYMBOLIZED WITH ARROWS
See word
RECYCLING
See word
SHUFFLE
See word
THIS SIDE UP
See word
U-TURN

NYT Connections Answers for July 14, 2026

Full spoilers — all four groups revealed.

Yellow group

Contract

  • AGREEMENT
  • BARGAIN
  • DEAL
  • UNDERSTANDING

AGREEMENT, BARGAIN, DEAL and UNDERSTANDING are all synonyms for a contract or mutual commitment. BARGAIN is the sneakiest — it doubles as 'a good price', which tempts solvers to separate it from the others, but all four words can describe the same handshake moment.

Green group

Edit menu options

  • COPY
  • CUT
  • DELETE
  • PASTE

COPY, CUT, DELETE and PASTE are all standard options in the Edit menu of virtually any software. CUT, COPY and PASTE are so tightly linked that keyboard shortcuts for all three — Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V — are muscle memory for most computer users; DELETE is the odd one out in that sense, which is exactly what makes it the quiet anchor of the group.

Blue group

Kinds of baskets

  • EASTER
  • GROCERY
  • LAUNDRY
  • PICNIC

EASTER, GROCERY, LAUNDRY and PICNIC are all types of baskets defined by what they carry or when they're used. LAUNDRY is the most mundane of the four — no holiday, no outing, just a chore.

Purple group

Symbolized with arrows

  • RECYCLING
  • SHUFFLE
  • THIS SIDE UP
  • U-TURN

RECYCLING, SHUFFLE, THIS SIDE UP and U-TURN are all concepts whose standard symbol uses arrows. The recycling symbol uses three chasing arrows, shuffle uses crossing arrows, 'this side up' uses an upward arrow, and a U-turn sign shows an arrow curving back on itself.