NYT Connections · #1129

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

By Sneha Rajput·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.”

NYT Connections hints for July 14, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 LAUNDRYNo occasion needed — just a pile of clothes waiting to be washed.

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

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

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

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

14 THIS SIDE UPThe shipping label with a bold upward arrow telling handlers which way the box goes.

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

16 U-TURNThe road sign shows a single arrow bending 180 degrees back on itself.

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

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

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 CUT Tap to see why this word traps.

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.

2 COPY Tap to see why this word traps.

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.

3 SHUFFLE Tap to see why this word traps.

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.

4 RECYCLING Tap to see why this word traps.

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 answers for July 14, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y CONTRACT · Yellow · easiest

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.

G EDIT MENU OPTIONS · Green · easy

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.

B KINDS OF BASKETS · Blue · medium

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.

P SYMBOLIZED WITH ARROWS · Purple · hardest

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.

Try another puzzle

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Wordle

Today's hint ladder & answer

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Answers, pangram & word list

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