TodayHint

Connections July 9, 2026: Hints & Answers (#1206)

edited by Wyna Liu.

Recap

The connections between the tiles revealed four distinct groups, each with its own unique theme and set of words. Solvers had to carefully consider the meanings and uses of each word to place them correctly.

The sixteen tiles

The sixteen tiles as dealt. Reveal a group below to tint and caption its tiles here.

THROWVIRGINSPINPRAYERNAROLLING STONEPERSIANFIREBIRDG6SHAGZERO-PROOFGRAND PRIXBILLBOARDTRANS AMPITCHFORKSPIRIT-FREE

Connections hints, one rung at a time

Six rungs, softest first. The recap above already named the groups, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the board fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.

  1. Four one-line nudges, one per group

    The softest hint there is.

    Yellow
    Drink labels
    Green
    Music mags
    Blue
    Floor decor
    Purple
    Car models
  2. What linked each group, described

    Still no titles and no tiles named.

    Yellow group

    Terms used to describe beverages that do not contain alcohol, often used in bars and restaurants.

    Green group

    Influential publications that cover the music industry, including news, reviews, and interviews.

    Blue group

    Types of floor coverings that add texture, warmth, and style to a room.

    Purple group

    A series of vehicles produced by a well-known American automaker, popular in the 20th century.

  3. Board facts

    Counted off the sixteen printed tiles.

    Sixteen tiles, four groups of four, ordered yellow → green → blue → purple from most to least obvious. 3 of the sixteen tiles were more than one word.

    Tiles
    16 across 4 groups
    Longest tile
    13 characters
    Shortest tile
    2 characters
    Multi-word tiles
    3
    Back to the sixteen tiles
  4. The trap on this board

    Which tiles pulled in two directions.

    Some cards could fit into multiple categories at first glance, be cautious with words that have multiple meanings or uses, such as 'PRAYER' and 'THROW'.

  5. The four category titles

    Half the answer.

    Yellow
    NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS
    Green
    MUSIC PUBLICATIONS
    Blue
    KINDS OF RUGS
    Purple
    PONTIAC MODELS
  6. One tile from each group

    The anchor most people misplaced, matched to its title.

    Yellow — NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS
    ZERO-PROOF
    Green — MUSIC PUBLICATIONS
    PITCHFORK
    Blue — KINDS OF RUGS
    PERSIAN
    Purple — PONTIAC MODELS
    TRANS AM
    Open the full groupings

Every Connections group from that board

All four groups, folded. Opening one tints its four tiles above and captions them with the category name.

  • Yellow group · 4 tiles

    NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS

    NA, SPIRIT-FREE, VIRGIN, ZERO-PROOF. The yellow group, 'NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS', consists of 'NA', 'SPIRIT-FREE', 'VIRGIN', and 'ZERO-PROOF'.

  • Green group · 4 tiles

    MUSIC PUBLICATIONS

    BILLBOARD, PITCHFORK, ROLLING STONE, SPIN. The green group, 'MUSIC PUBLICATIONS', consists of 'BILLBOARD', 'PITCHFORK', 'ROLLING STONE', and 'SPIN'.

  • Blue group · 4 tiles

    KINDS OF RUGS

    PERSIAN, PRAYER, SHAG, THROW. The blue group, 'KINDS OF RUGS', consists of 'PERSIAN', 'PRAYER', 'SHAG', and 'THROW'.

  • Purple group · 4 tiles

    PONTIAC MODELS

    FIREBIRD, G6, GRAND PRIX, TRANS AM. The purple group, 'PONTIAC MODELS', consists of 'FIREBIRD', 'G6', 'GRAND PRIX', and 'TRANS AM'.

This board by the numbers

Puzzle
(#1206) · Thursday, July 9, 2026
Tiles
16 in a 4 × 4 grid
Groups
4, yellow to purple
Multi-word tiles
3
Longest tile
ROLLING STONE
Mistakes allowed
4 before the board locked

More Connections

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