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Spoiler-safeJuly 10, 2026Puzzle #1125

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for July 10, 2026

The central misdirection of the Connections puzzle #1125 is MODE, with four appealing matches scattered across four unrelated categories.

Guide editorSofia RamirezEditor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Phone controlsModerate
Dessert descriptionsModerate
Synth-pop actsApproachable
Opening baseball callsHard

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

Today’s puzzle explained

Connections #1125 overview

The construction uses a four-way MODE split as its principal trap. The purple group depends on reading only the beginning of each full entry, while the blue group offers the clearest cultural foothold.

Overall difficultyHardBiggest trapFour entries contain MODE, but AIRPLANE MODE, À LA MODE, DEPECHE MODE, and SAFE MODE belong to four different groups.Best first moveSeparate the unmistakable synth-pop bands, then use the opening baseball calls to resolve the remaining MODE entries.

Why the board is deceptive

The board combines phone controls, dessert language, 1980s bands, and phrases beginning with calls heard in baseball.

Its strongest false group is the set of four MODE entries, each of which must remain in a different official category.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Start with DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER, and PET SHOP BOYS. Next, read BALL, OUT, SAFE, and STRIKE as the openings of longer entries; the phone settings and dessert descriptors then separate cleanly.

Spoilers below

Today’s groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

Phone controlsReveal this group

What connects AIRPLANE MODE, DO NOT DISTURB, HOTSPOT and LOCATION SERVICES?

AIRPLANE MODE · DO NOT DISTURB · HOTSPOT · LOCATION SERVICES

SMARTPHONE SETTINGS. All four are named settings or controls available on smartphones, covering wireless connections, interruptions, sharing, and location access.

Best anchor: Treat each complete entry as a phone control rather than grouping MODE endings.

Dessert descriptionsReveal this group

What connects DECADENT, FRESH-BAKED, MOLTEN and À LA MODE?

DECADENT · FRESH-BAKED · MOLTEN · À LA MODE

DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS. Desserts on menus are described by these phrases, suggesting richness, freshly baked, oozy centre, or served with ice cream.

Best anchor: À LA MODE belongs with dessert wording, despite the board's repeated MODE endings.

Synth-pop actsReveal this group

What connects DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER and PET SHOP BOYS?

DEPECHE MODE · ERASURE · NEW ORDER · PET SHOP BOYS

'80S SYNTH-POP BANDS. The source identifies the four band names DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER, and PET SHOP BOYS as synth-pop acts from the 1980s.

Best anchor: Four proper-name music entries provide the board's most direct opening solve.

Opening baseball callsReveal this group

What connects BALL GOWN, OUTKAST, SAFE MODE and STRIKE A POSE?

BALL GOWN · OUTKAST · SAFE MODE · STRIKE A POSE

STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS. Each complete entry begins with a baseball call: BALL, OUT, SAFE, or STRIKE. The remainder of each phrase disguises that shared opening.

Best anchor: Read the first spoken unit of each entry and ignore what follows it.

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use today’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    SMARTPHONE SETTINGS

    Treat each complete entry as a phone control rather than grouping MODE endings.

  2. 2
    DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS

    À LA MODE belongs with dessert wording, despite the board's repeated MODE endings.

  3. 3
    '80S SYNTH-POP BANDS

    Four proper-name music entries provide the board's most direct opening solve.

  4. 4
    STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS

    Read the first spoken unit of each entry and ignore what follows it.

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

Today’s best first move: Separate the unmistakable synth-pop bands, then use the opening baseball calls to resolve the remaining MODE entries..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

Moderate groupPhone controls
SMARTPHONE SETTINGS: Treat each complete entry as a phone control rather than grouping MODE endings.
Moderate groupDessert descriptions
DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS: À LA MODE belongs with dessert wording, despite the board's repeated MODE endings.
Approachable groupSynth-pop acts
'80S SYNTH-POP BANDS: Four proper-name music entries provide the board's most direct opening solve.
Hard groupOpening baseball calls
STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS: Read the first spoken unit of each entry and ignore what follows it.

Questions players ask

Connections help without extra spoilers

I’m stuck. Which hint should I open first?

Start with the small hint for the group you feel closest to solving. Use the stronger hint only if the first nudge is not enough, then reveal the category or four words when you want confirmation.

What should I do when five words seem to belong together?

Assume one is a red herring. Look for the word with a strong second meaning, then test whether it forms a cleaner group elsewhere.

What does “Test a group” do?

Select four words and choose “Check these four” to see whether your grouping works. It stays on this page and never submits a guess to the official puzzle or affects a streak.

Do I need to solve the groups in difficulty order?

No. Start with the clearest exact set. Removing an obvious group often exposes the overlapping meanings and wordplay in the harder groups.

Can I check one answer without spoiling the whole puzzle?

Yes. Every group opens independently, so you can reveal one hint, category or set of four words while keeping the other groups hidden.

About the guide editor

Sofia Ramirez

Sofia verifies puzzle dates, public numbers, source facts and the archive details that keep daily guides reliable.

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