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NYT Connections · #1124

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1124) — July 9, 2026

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“When a word feels too obvious — like it belongs to a band, a brand, or a breed — pause before locking it in and ask whether it fits a more literal, physical category instead.Today's puzzle shares some words with earlier puzzles. BILLBOARD and PITCHFORK both appeared in Connections #515 (Oct 9, 2024) as part of a media-related group. ROLLING STONE appeared in Connections #147 (Nov 5, 2023) in a similar context.”

NYT Connections hints for July 9, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 BILLBOARDThe chart-tracking trade magazine — not the roadside advertisement.
2 FIREBIRDA Pontiac muscle car produced from 1967 to 2002 — not a mythological creature.
3 G6A Pontiac sedan from the 2000s — also famously given away by Oprah in 2004.
4 GRAND PRIXA long-running Pontiac model name, borrowing the prestige of Formula 1 racing.
5 NAShort for 'non-alcoholic' — the quickest label on a drinks menu.
6 PERSIANA hand-knotted rug style from Iran — not the cat breed.
7 PITCHFORKThe influential indie music review site turned magazine — not the farm tool.
8 PRAYERA small rug used for kneeling during worship — not the act of praying.
9 ROLLING STONEThe iconic music and culture magazine founded in 1967 — not the band.
10 SHAGA rug with a long, shaggy pile — not a haircut or British slang.
11 SPINA music magazine launched in 1985 — not a DJ move or a cycling class.
12 SPIRIT-FREEThe newest of the four terms, favoured by upscale mocktail menus.
13 THROWA small, lightweight rug tossed over a floor — not a blanket or a verb.
14 TRANS AMThe Pontiac performance package made famous by Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit.
15 VIRGINLooks like the airline or record label; here it just means no alcohol, as in a virgin mojito.
16 ZERO-PROOFA riff on 'proof' as the measure of alcohol content — zero of it.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint What a bartender writes on the ticket when you skip the booze.
See Group NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS
See WordNA
See WordSPIRIT-FREE
See WordVIRGIN
See WordZERO-PROOF
See Hint You would find these on a newsstand next to NME.
See Group MUSIC PUBLICATIONS
See WordBILLBOARD
See WordPITCHFORK
See WordROLLING STONE
See WordSPIN
See Hint Each one describes what might be underfoot in a well-decorated room.
See Group KINDS OF RUGS
See WordPERSIAN
See WordPRAYER
See WordSHAG
See WordTHROW
See Hint A discontinued GM marque's lineup, from muscle to mild.
See Group PONTIAC MODELS
See WordFIREBIRD
See WordG6
See WordGRAND PRIX
See WordTRANS AM
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 SPIN Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a DJ spinning records, a cycling class, or just the verb — but here it's a music magazine, not a movement.
2 FIREBIRD Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing the mythological creature or the Stravinsky ballet — but the puzzle is using it as a model name from an American car brand.
3 PERSIAN Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the cat breed — but the puzzle is using it as a style of floor covering, not a fluffy pet.
4 SHAG Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as a haircut or British slang — but here it describes a rug with a long, thick pile.
5 VIRGIN Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the airline or the record label — but the puzzle is using it as a menu term for a drink with no alcohol in it.

NYT Connections answers for July 9, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS · Yellow · easiest
  • NA
  • SPIRIT-FREE
  • VIRGIN
  • ZERO-PROOF

NA, SPIRIT-FREE, VIRGIN and ZERO-PROOF are all terms used on menus or labels to signal that a drink contains no alcohol. SPIRIT-FREE is the most modern of the four — it has risen alongside the craft mocktail movement as a more elegant alternative to 'alcohol-free'.

G MUSIC PUBLICATIONS · Green · easy
  • BILLBOARD
  • PITCHFORK
  • ROLLING STONE
  • SPIN

BILLBOARD, PITCHFORK, ROLLING STONE and SPIN are all music magazines. ROLLING STONE is the sneakiest — the band name is so dominant that the magazine, which has been publishing since 1967, gets overshadowed in the brain.

B KINDS OF RUGS · Blue · medium
  • PERSIAN
  • PRAYER
  • SHAG
  • THROW

PERSIAN, PRAYER, SHAG and THROW are all types of rugs or carpets. THROW is the most surprising — most solvers know it as a blanket or a verb, but a throw rug is a small, lightweight floor covering.

P PONTIAC MODELS · Purple · hardest
  • FIREBIRD
  • G6
  • GRAND PRIX
  • TRANS AM

FIREBIRD, G6, GRAND PRIX and TRANS AM are all models made by Pontiac, the GM brand discontinued in 2010. TRANS AM is the most culturally loaded — it is forever linked to Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit, which makes it feel like a pop-culture reference rather than a car model name.

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