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NYT Connections · #1185

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1185) — September 8, 2026

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Earlier Sep 7 This puzzle Sep 8 Later Sep 9

“Work from the most concrete outward — once you lock in the group you are most certain about, the remaining words will start to sort themselves. Pay special attention to any word that looks like a real English word or a common noun, because the hardest group here depends on seeing past that surface entirely.”

NYT Connections hints for September 8, 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 ARTICHOKEARTICHOKE HEART is the tender centre of the vegetable — and a real dish, not just a phrase.
2 BERETThe flat, round hat that sits on the mime's head — also worn by soldiers and artists, but here it is purely theatrical.
3 CORVETTEChevrolet's long-running sports car, in production since 1953.
4 DOVESDOVE (the chocolate bar) plus S — also the plural of the bird, which is the surface-level distraction.
5 FIREBIRDPontiac's muscle car rival to the Mustang — also a bird, but here it has four wheels.
6 GLOVESWhite gloves that make the mime's hands visible against a dark costume.
7 MARSHMARS (the chocolate bar) plus H — looks like a wetland, but the candy is hiding in plain sight.
8 MUSTANGFord's iconic pony car — the wild horse reading is the bait.
9 PURPLEPURPLE HEART is the US military medal awarded for wounds in combat — and yes, this is the correct reading, not a trap.
10 SACREDSACRED HEART is a major devotional symbol in Catholicism, often depicted in religious art.
11 SKORTSKOR (the toffee candy bar) plus T — the clothing item reading is so convincing that this is the group's hardest word.
12 STRIPESThe horizontal black-and-white pattern on the classic mime's shirt — not a flag or a military rank here.
13 SUSPENDERSThe braces that hold up the mime's trousers — a key part of the traditional outfit.
14 TAKE TOTAKE TO HEART means to internalise something deeply — the only two-word entry in the group.
15 TWIXTTWIX (the caramel bar) plus T — also an archaic word for 'between', which is a very effective disguise.
16 VIPERDodge's high-performance sports car — also a snake, which is exactly the distraction.
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 These names belong on a showroom floor, not a nature documentary.
See Group CLASSIC AMERICAN PERFORMANCE CARS
See WordCORVETTE
See WordFIREBIRD
See WordMUSTANG
See WordVIPER
See Hint Everything a silent performer needs before stepping onto the pavement.
See Group FEATURES OF A MIME COSTUME
See WordBERET
See WordGLOVES
See WordSTRIPES
See WordSUSPENDERS
See Hint A surgeon, a soldier, a saint and a cynic all know this word well.
See Group ___ HEART
See WordARTICHOKE
See WordPURPLE
See WordSACRED
See WordTAKE TO
See Hint Each word is a sweet treat with one extra letter smuggled in.
See Group CANDY BARS PLUS A LETTER
See WordDOVES
See WordMARSH
See WordSKORT
See WordTWIXT
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 MARSH Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a wetland, or maybe a surname — but the puzzle is using it as a coded reference to a confectionery brand with one extra letter attached.
2 SKORT Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as the clothing item that's half skirt, half shorts — but the puzzle is using it as a candy name in disguise, not a fashion term.
3 TWIXT Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as the archaic word for 'between' — but here it is a candy bar name with a single letter added to the end.
4 MUSTANG Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the wild horse — but here it is an American muscle car, and the animal reading is exactly what the puzzle wants you to chase.

NYT Connections answers for September 8, 2026

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

Y CLASSIC AMERICAN PERFORMANCE CARS · Yellow · easiest
  • CORVETTE
  • FIREBIRD
  • MUSTANG
  • VIPER

CORVETTE, FIREBIRD, MUSTANG and VIPER are all classic American performance cars. Despite sounding like a bird, a horse and a snake, all four are iconic models built by American manufacturers — Chevrolet, Pontiac, Ford and Dodge respectively.

G FEATURES OF A MIME COSTUME · Green · easy
  • BERET
  • GLOVES
  • STRIPES
  • SUSPENDERS

BERET, GLOVES, STRIPES and SUSPENDERS are all standard elements of a classic mime costume. The horizontal black-and-white stripes on the shirt are arguably the most recognisable part of the whole look.

B ___ HEART · Blue · medium
  • ARTICHOKE
  • PURPLE
  • SACRED
  • TAKE TO

ARTICHOKE, PURPLE, SACRED and TAKE TO all precede HEART to form familiar phrases. TAKE TO HEART is the most phrase-like of the four, while ARTICHOKE HEART is the most literal — it is an actual edible part of the vegetable.

P CANDY BARS PLUS A LETTER · Purple · hardest
  • DOVES
  • MARSH
  • SKORT
  • TWIXT

DOVES, MARSH, SKORT and TWIXT each contain a candy bar name with one letter added: DOVE+S, MARS+H, SKOR+T and TWIX+T. SKORT is the sneakiest — most solvers read it as the clothing item and never think to look for SKOR hiding inside.

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