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NYT Connections · #1120

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1120) — July 5, 2026

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“Start with the group you can picture most concretely — things you could hold in your hand or eat. Lock that in before you touch anything that looks like a colour or a metal.CASH and CHECK appeared together in Connections #1101 (Mar 25, 2026). They were part of a payment methods group then too — and they play the same role today.”

NYT Connections hints for July 5, 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 CARDDebit or credit — the tap-or-swipe option at the register.
2 CASHPhysical notes and coins — the oldest payment method here.
3 CENTURIONThe invite-only black card — Amex's most exclusive tier.
4 CHECKA written order to your bank — old-fashioned but still valid.
5 GOLDLooks like a precious metal or a colour; here it's the mid-tier Amex card.
6 GREENThe entry-level Amex card — and the word most likely to end up in the wrong group.
7 HONEYThe sticky sweetener that coats and clumps granola together.
8 NUTSAlmonds, cashews, pecans — whichever crunch you prefer in your bowl.
9 OATSThe base of every granola recipe — rolled flat and toasted.
10 PLATINUMThe premium travel card, one step below the Centurion.
11 SEEDSPumpkin, sunflower, chia — the small but nutritious additions.
12 TUNGSTENIts chemical symbol is W, borrowed from the German name Wolfram.
13 WESTW is the standard compass abbreviation for this direction.
14 WINW is sports shorthand for a victory in a standings column.
15 WIRELooks like a physical cable; here it means an electronic bank transfer.
16 WITHW/ is the common texting and note-taking shorthand for this preposition.
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 Everything a bear would raid from your kitchen pantry.
See Group GRANOLA INGREDIENTS
See WordHONEY
See WordNUTS
See WordOATS
See WordSEEDS
See Hint Ways to settle a bill at the end of a meal.
See Group PAYMENT METHODS
See WordCARD
See WordCASH
See WordCHECK
See WordWIRE
See Hint A wallet full of prestige, ranked from entry to elite.
See Group AMEX CARD TYPES
See WordCENTURION
See WordGOLD
See WordGREEN
See WordPLATINUM
See Hint Each one hides behind a single letter of the alphabet.
See Group WHAT "W" MIGHT STAND FOR
See WordTUNGSTEN
See WordWEST
See WordWIN
See WordWITH
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 GREEN Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as the colour — or even as the category label for the green tier of today's puzzle — but here it's a specific financial product, not a colour or a category name.
2 GOLD Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the precious metal or a warm yellow shade, but the puzzle is using it as a tier name for a credit product, not a material or a colour.
3 TUNGSTEN Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the heavy grey metal, but the puzzle is using it because of its chemical symbol — a single letter that points somewhere unexpected.
4 WIRE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a physical cable or a listening device, but here it's a method of moving money electronically, not a physical object.

NYT Connections answers for July 5, 2026

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

Y GRANOLA INGREDIENTS · Yellow · easiest
  • HONEY
  • NUTS
  • OATS
  • SEEDS

HONEY, NUTS, OATS and SEEDS are all classic granola ingredients. HONEY is the binding agent that holds the whole thing together — literally and figuratively the sweetest member of the group.

G PAYMENT METHODS · Green · easy
  • CARD
  • CASH
  • CHECK
  • WIRE

CARD, CASH, CHECK and WIRE are all payment methods. WIRE is the easiest to miss — most people picture a physical cable before they land on wire transfer.

B AMEX CARD TYPES · Blue · medium
  • CENTURION
  • GOLD
  • GREEN
  • PLATINUM

CENTURION, GOLD, GREEN and PLATINUM are the four tiers of American Express cards. GREEN is the sneakiest — it sits in the blue category while sharing its name with the green category label, which is exactly the trap the puzzle is setting.

P WHAT "W" MIGHT STAND FOR · Purple · hardest
  • TUNGSTEN
  • WEST
  • WIN
  • WITH

TUNGSTEN, WEST, WIN and WITH can all be abbreviated as the letter W. TUNGSTEN is the hardest — its chemical symbol W comes from its German name Wolfram, not from the English word.

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