Game #1130, July 15 brings a tidy but tricky Connections board that rewards quick pattern-spotting. Four neat groups hide among 16 words that toy with obvious overlaps.
There’s a very solvable legal cluster today, a “laces” group that can mislead by appearances, and a sports set that’s deceptively broad — with the tightest trick in the “room” group.
SPOILER WARNING: The rest of this post gives away all four groups for Game #1130 (2026-07-15). Don’t read on if you want to solve the puzzle yourself first.
Today’s NYT Connections words
Here are the 16 words on today’s board:
- RACKET | FOOTBALL | WIGGLE | BAR
- HEAD | BENCH | ELBOW | SHOE
- EXTREME | BREATHING | MOTOR | COURT
- CORSET | WATER | TRIBUNAL | BASEBALL GLOVE
Today’s NYT Connections hints
Four spoiler-light one-line hints to nudge you without naming the groups.
- 🟡 Yellow: Four words that name official parts or institutions of the justice system.
- 🟢 Green: These four objects share a fastening feature that uses cords or strings.
- 🔵 Blue: Each word is used as a modifier or label for a broad category of sport.
- 🟣 Purple: Each word commonly comes before “room” to indicate added space.
Today’s NYT Connections group titles
Here are the official group titles for Game #1130.
- 🟡 Yellow: “TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM”
- 🟢 Green: “THINGS WITH LACES”
- 🔵 Blue: “KINDS OF SPORTS”
- 🟣 Purple: “WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE”
What are today’s NYT Connections answers?
Below are the four solved groups for Game #1130.
| Colour | Group | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 Yellow | “TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM” | BAR, BENCH, COURT, TRIBUNAL |
| 🟢 Green | “THINGS WITH LACES” | BASEBALL GLOVE, CORSET, FOOTBALL, SHOE |
| 🔵 Blue | “KINDS OF SPORTS” | EXTREME, MOTOR, RACKET, WATER |
| 🟣 Purple | “WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE” | BREATHING, ELBOW, HEAD, WIGGLE |
Today’s Connections — expert analysis
The natural entry point is the Yellow cluster — BAR, BENCH, COURT, TRIBUNAL — which reads like a straight legal set and is rarely ambiguous. If you’re looking to claim an early four, that’s the safest first pick.
The toughest group is the Purple “room” set even though its members (BREATHING, ELBOW, HEAD, WIGGLE) are solid once you see the pattern. It’s tricky because those words also feel like standalone nouns or verbs and can be mistakenly shoehorned into other themes. The biggest decoys today are the overlaps between the green and blue groups: FOOTBALL and BASEBALL GLOVE scream “sports” at first glance, which can steer solvers away from the correct THINGS WITH LACES grouping, while RACKET, MOTOR and WATER are cleanly sporting terms that reward stepping back and thinking category labels rather than objects. CORSET and SHOE are obvious laced items, but when paired mentally with the sporting words they slow you down.
If you’re stuck after one safe pick, scan for the green laces set next — BASEBALL GLOVE, CORSET, FOOTBALL, SHOE — since the physical “laces” tie those four together and aren’t shared by the legal or sports labels. Picking a clear pair from that group is a low-risk way to open the board.
Difficulty: 3/5 — a straightforward legal cluster but a sneaky “room” theme and sports/lace overlaps make it middling.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Game #1129)
For reference, here are the four groups from Game #1129.
- 🟡 Yellow (CONTRACT): AGREEMENT, BARGAIN, DEAL, UNDERSTANDING
- 🟢 Green (EDIT MENU OPTIONS): COPY, CUT, DELETE, PASTE
- 🔵 Blue (KINDS OF BASKETS): EASTER, GROCERY, LAUNDRY, PICNIC
- 🟣 Purple (SYMBOLIZED WITH ARROWS): RECYCLING, SHUFFLE, THIS SIDE UP, U-TURN
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word-classification puzzle where 16 tiles must be grouped into four related sets of four. Each set shares a common theme or label — sometimes literal, sometimes deliberately oblique.
How to play NYT Connections
- Scan the 16 words and look for an obvious quartet that share a clear connection.
- Select four words you think form a group; submit them to lock that group in.
- Repeat until you’ve found all four groups or exhausted your attempts; watch for overlapping clues and decoy words.
Past week’s NYT Connections answers
Missed a day? Full solutions from earlier this week, newest first.
Game #1128 — July 13
- 🟡 INTERROGATE: EXAMINE, GRILL, PUMP, QUESTION
- 🟢 THINGS WITH HANDLES: BUCKET, DRAWER, MUG, UMBRELLA
- 🔵 FICTIONAL CATS: FIGARO, PUSS, SALEM, TOM
- 🟣 STARTING WITH SMOOCHES: BUSSIN, KISSER, PECKISH, SMACKDOWN
Game #1127 — July 12
- 🟡 REPRODUCTIVE PART OF FRUIT: PIP, PIT, SEED, STONE
- 🟢 BIT OF FRUIT-FLAVORED CANDY: DOT, NERD, RUNT, SPREE
- 🔵 VERBS IN A COLLEGE LIFE SLOGAN: PARTY, REPEAT, SLEEP, STUDY
- 🟣 STARTS OF U.S. CAPITALS: DEN, MAD, PHO, SAC
Game #1126 — July 11
- 🟡 CIRCUS EQUIPMENT: CANNON, STILTS, TRAPEZE, UNICYCLE
- 🟢 UNDISTURBED, AS WATER: CALM, FLAT, GLASSY, STILL
- 🔵 “TOY STORY” CHARACTERS: BO PEEP, JESSIE, SLINKY, WOODY
- 🟣 DOUBLE LETTERS APPEARING IN THAT LETTER’S ALPHABETICAL POSITION: AARDVARK, BOCCE, EBBING, TWIDDLE
Game #1125 — July 10
- 🟡 SMARTPHONE SETTINGS: AIRPLANE MODE, DO NOT DISTURB, HOTSPOT, LOCATION SERVICES
- 🟢 DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS: DECADENT, FRESH-BAKED, MOLTEN, À LA MODE
- 🔵 ’80S SYNTH-POP BANDS: DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER, PET SHOP BOYS
- 🟣 STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS: BALL GOWN, OUTKAST, SAFE MODE, STRIKE A POSE
Game #1124 — July 9
- 🟡 NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS: NA, SPIRIT-FREE, VIRGIN, ZERO-PROOF
- 🟢 MUSIC PUBLICATIONS: BILLBOARD, PITCHFORK, ROLLING STONE, SPIN
- 🔵 KINDS OF RUGS: PERSIAN, PRAYER, SHAG, THROW
- 🟣 PONTIAC MODELS: FIREBIRD, G6, GRAND PRIX, TRANS AM
Game #1123 — July 8
- 🟡 CUT INTO THIN PIECES: GRATE, PLANE, SHAVE, SLIVER
- 🟢 MOTIF: DRIFT, PLOT, THEME, THREAD
- 🔵 GUITAR-PLAYING TECHNIQUES: PICK, PLUCK, STRUM, TAP
- 🟣 HOUSE OF ___: CARDS, LORDS, WAX, WORSHIP
More daily puzzle help from HashTechWave
- Today’s NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers
- Today’s NYT Spelling Bee answers and pangram
- Today’s Wordle hints, clues and answer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle unlock?
A brand-new puzzle drops every single night at midnight local time across your specific region’s time zone on NYT Connection official site.
Why do some words seem to fit into two different groups?
The puzzle is specifically designed to include “decoys” or overlapping vocabulary. Always look for a backup configuration of words before locking in an early guess to protect your attempt counter.
Can I review answers to older puzzles?
Yes — we keep the past week of solutions right here on this page. Scroll up to the “Past week’s NYT Connections answers” section for every recent grid, newest first, plus a full breakdown of yesterday’s puzzle.
