Connections Hint
Puzzle #1129 · July 14, 2026

NYT Connections Hints for July 14, 2026

Start with the spoiler-free hints. Go deeper only when you need to. Reveal answers on your own terms.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Get the hintsSpoiler-free · three levels ↓ Skip to answersJust give me the solution →
Today’s 16 Puzzle Words
Tap any word to see how it’s used in this puzzle
DELETEAGREEMENTDEALRECYCLINGBARGAINU-TURNSHUFFLEPICNICCUTPASTELAUNDRYUNDERSTANDINGEASTERTHIS SIDE UPCOPYGROCERY

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • These words capture the spirit of a mutual, binding promise.
  • Essential digital operations for editing any project.
  • Each term evokes a specific carrier for life's many errands and joys.
  • The connection is not about meaning, but about a simple visual symbol everyone recognizes.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • These belong to the realm of legal documents and formal pledges.
  • You'll find these options in the toolbar of almost any word processor.
  • Each term describes a specific type of container you might use for an errand or a holiday.
  • You'll need to visualize the common iconography on packaging, media players, or road signs that represents these terms.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • All four are synonyms for a formal mutual pact.
  • These actions live under the Edit menu in nearly every software application.
  • Each word completes the phrase a basket, describing its purpose or associated event.
  • The link is visual: each term is frequently represented by an arrow icon in daily life.

Today’s Trap Words

The words engineered to mislead

Every Connections board plants a few decoys. Here are today’s, and why they pull you the wrong way.

BARGAIN

Solvers might first think of discount shopping or a great deal, not realizing it's a synonym for a legal pact, pulling them away from the true connection.

EASTER

It stands out as a holiday, which can send players hunting for other calendar events that don't exist on this board, wasting guesses.

THIS SIDE UP

As a multi-word phrase, it seems out of place among single-word items, tempting solvers to dismiss it or look for other directional words that aren't there.

Connections Answers — July 14, 2026

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
CONTRACT
DEAL · BARGAIN · UNDERSTANDING · AGREEMENT
Tap to reveal
EDIT MENU OPTIONS
CUT · COPY · PASTE · DELETE
Tap to reveal
KINDS OF BASKETS
PICNIC · LAUNDRY · GROCERY · EASTER
Tap to reveal
SYMBOLIZED WITH ARROWS
U-TURN · SHUFFLE · RECYCLING · THIS SIDE UP
Tap to reveal
SEE ALSO:
NYT Wordle hints for July 14, 2026 NYT Pips hints for July 14, 2026 NYT Strands hints for July 14, 2026

Category Breakdown — Puzzle #1129

Why each group works — not just what it is

CONTRACT

These words are all synonyms for a binding mutual agreement: AGREEMENT, BARGAIN, DEAL, and UNDERSTANDING.

EDIT MENU OPTIONS

COPY, CUT, DELETE, and PASTE are the classic commands found under the Edit menu in virtually every word processor and graphic design tool.

KINDS OF BASKETS

Each word specifies a common type of basket: EASTER basket, GROCERY basket, LAUNDRY basket, and PICNIC basket.

SYMBOLIZED WITH ARROWS

RECYCLING, SHUFFLE, THIS SIDE UP, and U-TURN are all concepts frequently depicted with arrow icons on signs, buttons, and packaging.

Word Guide — All 16 Puzzle Words

What each word means in this puzzle
DELETE
Permanently erasing the chosen text or file, bypassing the clipboard.
AGREEMENT
A formal arrangement where two or more sides accept the same terms, often documented in writing.
DEAL
A common term for an agreement or arrangement, used from business mergers to casual exchanges.
RECYCLING
The process of reusing materials, universally symbolized by a triangle of chasing arrows.
BARGAIN
An agreement reached after negotiation, sometimes implying a good deal, but here simply another word for a pact.
U-TURN
A driving move to reverse direction, represented by a curved arrow in traffic signs.
SHUFFLE
A feature on music players that randomizes track order, denoted by two crossed arrows.
PICNIC
An outdoor meal, traditionally packed into a basket with a handle.
CUT
Removing and capturing the selected content, ready to be placed elsewhere.
PASTE
Inserting the contents of the clipboard at the cursor's location.
LAUNDRY
The chore of washing clothes, frequently transported in a tall basket.
UNDERSTANDING
A less formal synonym for a consensus or pact, often implying a shared perspective rather than a written contract.
EASTER
A spring holiday often associated with baskets filled with candy and eggs.
THIS SIDE UP
A shipping instruction to keep a package oriented correctly, accompanied by an upward arrow.
COPY
The action of duplicating text or data, putting it onto a virtual clipboard for later use.
GROCERY
A trip to buy food and household supplies, typically carried home in a sturdy basket or bag.

Puzzle Design Analysis

Why the editor constructed it this way

Wyna Liu's construction cleverly suppresses 'basket' from the grid, leaving four adjectives that form a group only after inferring the missing noun. The purple category disorients by shifting from definitions to universal symbology, rewarding lateral visual thinking. The edit menu group sits safely in green, but its proximity to contract synonyms like 'deal' can snag. The result is a balanced grid with a satisfying conceptual leap.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
5.5/10
Most deceptive
THIS SIDE UP

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
Arrow Symbols

requires lateral thinking

Connections Strategy Guides

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