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NYT Connections · #1130

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1130) — July 15, 2026

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“Start with the group that feels most concrete and physical — once those four are locked in, the cross-category decoys lose their grip and the rest falls into place.”

NYT Connections hints for July 15, 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 →

1

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 BARThe legal profession itself — lawyers are 'called to the bar' when they qualify.
2 BASEBALL GLOVELaced across the webbing between the fingers to give it structure and shape.
3 BENCHLooks like furniture; here it means the judge's seat and, by extension, the judiciary.
4 BREATHINGBreathing room — enough space or time to avoid feeling suffocated by pressure.
5 CORSETLaced up the back — tighten or loosen to adjust the fit.
6 COURTLooks like a sports surface; here it is the legal body that hears cases.
7 ELBOWLooks like a body part; elbow room means enough physical space to move freely.
8 EXTREMEExtreme sports — skateboarding, base jumping and the like.
9 FOOTBALLHas a row of laces along one side, originally used to close the leather casing.
10 HEADHeadroom — the clearance above your head, or figurative space to grow.
11 MOTORMotor sports — racing and any competition powered by an engine.
12 RACKETLooks like a piece of equipment or a scam; here it names the family of sports played with a racket.
13 SHOEThe most obvious member — laces are the whole point of putting it on.
14 TRIBUNALThe most obviously legal word of the four — a formal body set up to settle disputes.
15 WATERWater sports — swimming, surfing, rowing and anything else in or on water.
16 WIGGLEWiggle room — informal for flexibility or leeway in a plan or negotiation.
2

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 Where lawyers argue and judges decide.
See Group TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM
See WordBAR
See WordBENCH
See WordCOURT
See WordTRIBUNAL
See Hint Pull the strings and you can tighten or loosen each one.
See Group THINGS WITH LACES
See WordBASEBALL GLOVE
See WordCORSET
See WordFOOTBALL
See WordSHOE
See Hint Each one names a whole family of athletic competition.
See Group KINDS OF SPORTS
See WordEXTREME
See WordMOTOR
See WordRACKET
See WordWATER
See Hint Say each one aloud and think about what you need when a deadline is too tight.
See Group WORDS BEFORE "ROOM" TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE
See WordBREATHING
See WordELBOW
See WordHEAD
See WordWIGGLE
3

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 RACKET Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a tennis racket or a loud noise — both are the bait. But the puzzle is using it in a broader, categorical sense that has nothing to do with equipment or chaos.
2 COURT Tap to see why this word traps.
You're almost certainly picturing a tennis or basketball court, but the puzzle is using it in a legal sense, not a sporting one.
3 ELBOW Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as a body part or a nudging gesture — that's the natural first read, but the puzzle is using it in a compound phrase sense you don't hear every day.
4 BENCH Tap to see why this word traps.
You're likely picturing a piece of furniture or a gym bench, but the puzzle is using it as a term for the judiciary — the judge's seat in a courtroom.

NYT Connections answers for July 15, 2026

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

Y TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM · Yellow · easiest
  • BAR
  • BENCH
  • COURT
  • TRIBUNAL

BAR, BENCH, COURT and TRIBUNAL are all terms associated with the legal system. BENCH is the sneakiest — most solvers picture a park seat or a gym bench before the courtroom sense clicks.

G THINGS WITH LACES · Green · easy
  • BASEBALL GLOVE
  • CORSET
  • FOOTBALL
  • SHOE

BASEBALL GLOVE, CORSET, FOOTBALL and SHOE all have laces. BASEBALL GLOVE and FOOTBALL are the traps — they look like sports equipment that belongs in a sports category, but laces are what they share.

B KINDS OF SPORTS · Blue · medium
  • EXTREME
  • MOTOR
  • RACKET
  • WATER

EXTREME, MOTOR, RACKET and WATER each precede the word 'sports' to name a broad category of athletic activity. RACKET is the hardest — solvers expect it to mean a bat or a noise, not a genre of sport.

P WORDS BEFORE "ROOM" TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE · Purple · hardest
  • BREATHING
  • ELBOW
  • HEAD
  • WIGGLE

BREATHING, ELBOW, HEAD and WIGGLE all precede 'room' to form a phrase meaning extra space or freedom to manoeuvre. ELBOW is the trickiest — solvers tend to read it as a body part or a nudging verb long before 'elbow room' surfaces.

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