Connections archive · Puzzle #1130

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

Group hints and answers for the NYT Connections puzzle on . Get a spoiler-free nudge for each group, or reveal the full solution — your call.

Difficulty: Hard

Spoiler control

Choose how much to reveal

Reveal one step at a time — nudges first, full answers only if you ask.

1. Group nudges spoiler-free
  • Yellow: Institutions or bodies associated with administering justice
  • Green: Items tightened or closed by threading and tying
  • Blue: Words that name broad styles of athletic competition
  • Purple: Each can precede the same noun to mean space or freedom to move
2. One word from each group a foothold
  • Yellow: BAR
  • Green: BASEBALL GLOVE
  • Blue: EXTREME
  • Purple: BREATHING
3. The four category names no words yet
  • Yellow: TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM
  • Green: THINGS WITH LACES
  • Blue: KINDS OF SPORTS
  • Purple: WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group

TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM

  • BAR
  • BENCH
  • COURT
  • TRIBUNAL
Green group

THINGS WITH LACES

  • BASEBALL GLOVE
  • CORSET
  • FOOTBALL
  • SHOE
Blue group

KINDS OF SPORTS

  • EXTREME
  • MOTOR
  • RACKET
  • WATER
Purple group

WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE

  • BREATHING
  • ELBOW
  • HEAD
  • WIGGLE
5. Reveal everything full spoilers

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 puzzle, in a nutshell

Sports vocabulary creates deliberate overlap across the green and blue groups, while COURT and RACKET add another tempting pairing. The extra-space phrases provide the cleanest way to separate the final ambiguous words.

NYT Connections #1130 — quick answers

What are today's Connections categories?

TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM; THINGS WITH LACES; KINDS OF SPORTS; WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE.

What are all the answers?
  • TERMS FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM: BAR, BENCH, COURT, TRIBUNAL
  • THINGS WITH LACES: BASEBALL GLOVE, CORSET, FOOTBALL, SHOE
  • KINDS OF SPORTS: EXTREME, MOTOR, RACKET, WATER
  • WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO INDICATE EXTRA SPACE: BREATHING, ELBOW, HEAD, WIGGLE

Also for: Connections hints 7/15/26, 7-15-26, 7 15 26, 7/15/2026, and puzzle #1130.

Also stuck on Strands, Wordle, Spelling Bee or Mini Crossword ?