NYT Connections · #1196
NYT Connections Hints & Answers
Start with the group where every word is a proper name — those are the easiest to lock in and will clear the board fast.
GENESIS has had a busy history. It was grouped with words meaning "origin" in Connections #854 (Sep 3, 2025), but it also appeared as a classic rock band in Connections #71 (Aug 21, 2023), which is closer to its role today.
Today's Puzzle Words & Clues
Which word from today's puzzle confuses you?
| Word | Meaning | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHICK FLICK | A rom-com or romance film — flick rhymes with chick. | CHINA | Fine porcelain dishware — a traditional wedding registry staple, not the nation. |
| CLIFFORD | The Big Red Dog — Emily Elizabeth's oversized crimson companion. | DEADPOOL | Marvel's red-suited, fourth-wall-breaking mercenary. |
| GENESIS | English prog rock band fronted by Peter Gabriel, then Phil Collins — not the Bible. | HELTER SKELTER | Chaotic disorder — skelter rhymes with helter, and it's also a spiral fairground slide. |
| HUMPTY DUMPTY | The egg who had a great fall — Dumpty rhymes with Humpty. | KING CRIMSON | Robert Fripp's long-running prog outfit, famous for '21st Century Schizoid Man'. |
| KOOL-AID MAN | The giant red pitcher mascot famous for bursting through walls shouting 'Oh yeah!' | LUGGAGE | A practical gift for the honeymoon trip ahead. |
| MONEY | Cash in an envelope — the most universally appreciated wedding gift. | MR. KRABS | SpongeBob's money-obsessed red crustacean boss at the Krusty Krab. |
| MUMBO JUMBO | Meaningless or confusing talk — jumbo rhymes with mumbo. | PINK FLOYD | The 'Dark Side of the Moon' band — the colour in the name might tempt you away from this group, but it belongs here. |
| RUSH | Canadian prog trio — Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart — not a feeling of urgency. | TOASTER | The archetypal practical wedding gift, so common it became a cliché. |
Tricky words to watch
Decoys the NYT plants to throw you off. Tap one to see why it bites.
Decoy CHINA
You're probably picturing the country — that's the bait. Here the puzzle is using it as a type of dishware, not a place on a map.
Decoy RUSH
You're probably reading it as a feeling of urgency or excitement — but here it's a proper noun, a band name, not a sensation.
Decoy GENESIS
You're probably thinking of the Bible's opening book or the word for a beginning — but here it's a band name, not a concept.
Group Hints & Reveal Assistant
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What are today's Connections answers?
Full spoilers — all four groups revealed.
Yellow group answers
The Yellow Connections group today is PROG BANDS. The yellow group words are GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, RUSH. GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD and RUSH are all classic progressive rock bands. RUSH is the sneakiest — it reads so naturally as a verb or noun that many solvers hesitate before placing it here.
Green group answers
The Green Connections group today is CLASSIC WEDDING GIFTS. The green group words are CHINA, LUGGAGE, MONEY, TOASTER. CHINA, LUGGAGE, MONEY and TOASTER are all classic wedding gifts. CHINA is the trickiest — most solvers see the country before they see the dinnerware.
Blue group answers
The Blue Connections group today is RED CHARACTERS. The blue group words are CLIFFORD, DEADPOOL, KOOL-AID MAN, MR. KRABS. CLIFFORD, DEADPOOL, KOOL-AID MAN and MR. KRABS are all famous fictional characters defined by being red. KOOL-AID MAN is the most visually unmistakable — a giant red pitcher who crashes through walls.
Purple group answers
The Purple Connections group today is RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS. The purple group words are CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY, MUMBO JUMBO. CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY and MUMBO JUMBO are all rhyming compound words or reduplicative phrases. The pattern is simple once you hear it — say any of them aloud and the internal rhyme is impossible to miss.