TodayHint

Connections September 2, 2026: Hints & Answers (#1273)

edited by Wyna Liu.

Recap

The 2026-09-02 NYT Connections puzzle featured four groups of four words each, ranging from easy word synonyms to themed categories of items and types of 'dogs'.

The sixteen tiles

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

BOWWOWTOPFLOORCORNSAUSAGESALTYSHEEPRESCUEROSINDAZZLEPRAIRIESHOULDER RESTHUNTINGMUTESTUN

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
    Strong reactions
    Green
    Music accessories
    Blue
    Canine types
    Purple
    Not dogs
  2. What linked each group, described

    Still no titles and no tiles named.

    Yellow group

    Words that describe intense or extreme emotional responses to something surprising or impressive.

    Green group

    Items commonly found in a case with a stringed instrument, used for playing or maintaining it.

    Blue group

    Breeds or varieties of domesticated dogs, often used for specific purposes or having distinct characteristics.

    Purple group

    Phrases that refer to things that are not dogs, but are named similarly, often due to historical or colloquial reasons.

  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. 1 of the sixteen tile was more than one word.

    Tiles
    16 across 4 groups
    Longest tile
    13 characters
    Shortest tile
    3 characters
    Multi-word tiles
    1
    Back to the sixteen tiles
  4. The trap on this board

    Which tiles pulled in two directions.

    Some cards could fit into more than one group, especially those with multiple meanings or uses. Be cautious with words like 'TOP' and 'BOW', which could apply to different categories.

  5. The four category titles

    Half the answer.

    Yellow
    FLABBERGAST
    Green
    THINGS IN A VIOLIN CASE
    Blue
    ___ DOGS (THAT ARE DOGS)
    Purple
    ___ DOGS (THAT AREN'T DOGS)
  6. One tile from each group

    The anchor most people misplaced, matched to its title.

    Yellow — FLABBERGAST
    DAZZLE
    Green — THINGS IN A VIOLIN CASE
    SHOULDER REST
    Blue — ___ DOGS (THAT ARE DOGS)
    SAUSAGE
    Purple — ___ DOGS (THAT AREN'T DOGS)
    SALTY
    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

    FLABBERGAST

    DAZZLE, FLOOR, STUN, WOW. The yellow group, 'FLABBERGAST', includes synonyms for being shocked or amazed: DAZZLE, FLOOR, STUN, and WOW.

  • Green group · 4 tiles

    THINGS IN A VIOLIN CASE

    BOW, MUTE, ROSIN, SHOULDER REST. The green group, 'THINGS IN A VIOLIN CASE', consists of items used with a violin: BOW, MUTE, ROSIN, and SHOULDER REST.

  • Blue group · 4 tiles

    ___ DOGS (THAT ARE DOGS)

    HUNTING, RESCUE, SAUSAGE, SHEEP. The blue group, '___ DOGS (THAT ARE DOGS)', features breeds or types of dogs: HUNTING, RESCUE, SAUSAGE, and SHEEP.

  • Purple group · 4 tiles

    ___ DOGS (THAT AREN'T DOGS)

    CORN, PRAIRIE, SALTY, TOP. The purple group, '___ DOGS (THAT AREN'T DOGS)', includes phrases for things not literally dogs but called dogs: CORN, PRAIRIE, SALTY, and TOP.

This board by the numbers

Puzzle
(#1273) · Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Tiles
16 in a 4 × 4 grid
Groups
4, yellow to purple
Multi-word tiles
1
Longest tile
SHOULDER REST
Mistakes allowed
4 before the board locked

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