The New York Times' daily word game Connections is back with another grid of 16 words waiting to be sorted into four hidden groups. While some categories are easy to spot, others require players to think beyond the obvious and look for subtle links between seemingly unrelated words. Puzzle #1129 for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, offers a balanced mix of straightforward clues and clever wordplay. If you want a little help without immediately revealing the answers, start with the hints below before scrolling down to today's solutions.NYT Connections hints for todayNeed a gentle nudge? Here are today's spoiler-free clues:Yellow: Think of four words people might use when shaking hands after reaching the same conclusion.Green: If you've ever pressed Ctrl + X or Ctrl + V, you're already on the right track.Blue: These words become much more familiar when you imagine carrying something inside them.Purple: Don't focus on the words themselves. Think about the symbols you see on road signs, product packaging and music apps.NYT Connections answers for July 14, 2026Yellow – ContractAgreementBargainDealUnderstandingGreen – Edit menu optionsCopyCutDeletePasteBlue – Kinds of basketsEasterGroceryLaundryPicnicPurple – Symbolized with arrowsRecyclingShuffleThis Side UpU-turnWhy today's puzzle was trickyThe Green category was likely the quickest to identify, especially for anyone familiar with basic computer shortcuts. The Yellow group also stood out once you realised all four words describe some form of agreement.The challenge came with the Blue and Purple categories. Words like Easter and Picnic do not immediately suggest baskets until you think of the complete phrase. Meanwhile, the Purple group required a different way of thinking altogether. Instead of looking for similarities in meaning, players had to recognise that each item is commonly represented by an arrow-based symbol.How to play NYT ConnectionsConnections presents players with a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to sort them into four groups of four that share a common link. Each group is colour-coded by difficulty:Yellow: EasiestGreen: ModerateBlue: ChallengingPurple: Most difficultPlayers can make up to four mistakes before the game ends, so it's often worth looking at the grid from different angles before locking in a group. A new Connections puzzle is released daily at midnight in your local time zone.