NYT Connections · #1124
NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1124) — July 9, 2026
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.
Traps & Misdirects for July 9, 2026
The decoys built into this puzzle — and why each one bites.
SPIN Decoy
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.
FIREBIRD Decoy
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.
PERSIAN Decoy
You're probably thinking of the cat breed — but the puzzle is using it as a style of floor covering, not a fluffy pet.
SHAG Decoy
You're probably reading it as a haircut or British slang — but here it describes a rug with a long, thick pile.
VIRGIN Decoy
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 Word Clues for July 9, 2026
Spoiler-free meaning for every word in the grid.
BILLBOARD
The chart-tracking trade magazine — not the roadside advertisement.
FIREBIRD
A Pontiac muscle car produced from 1967 to 2002 — not a mythological creature.
G6
A Pontiac sedan from the 2000s — also famously given away by Oprah in 2004.
GRAND PRIX
A long-running Pontiac model name, borrowing the prestige of Formula 1 racing.
NA
Short for 'non-alcoholic' — the quickest label on a drinks menu.
PERSIAN
A hand-knotted rug style from Iran — not the cat breed.
PITCHFORK
The influential indie music review site turned magazine — not the farm tool.
PRAYER
A small rug used for kneeling during worship — not the act of praying.
ROLLING STONE
The iconic music and culture magazine founded in 1967 — not the band.
SHAG
A rug with a long, shaggy pile — not a haircut or British slang.
SPIN
A music magazine launched in 1985 — not a DJ move or a cycling class.
SPIRIT-FREE
The newest of the four terms, favoured by upscale mocktail menus.
THROW
A small, lightweight rug tossed over a floor — not a blanket or a verb.
TRANS AM
The Pontiac performance package made famous by Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit.
VIRGIN
Looks like the airline or record label; here it just means no alcohol, as in a virgin mojito.
ZERO-PROOF
A riff on 'proof' as the measure of alcohol content — zero of it.
NYT Connections Hints for July 9, 2026
Reveal exactly what you need — a hint, the group name, or a single word.
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NYT Connections Answers for July 9, 2026
Full spoilers — all four groups revealed.
Yellow group
Non-alcoholic designators
- 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'.
Green group
Music publications
- 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.
Blue group
Kinds of rugs
- 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.
Purple group
Pontiac models
- 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.