NYT Connections #1,116 Guide with all the Hints, Clues, and Answers Inside (July 1, 2026)

If you’re puzzled by the grid in today’s Connections puzzle, you are not alone. The running theme of location names isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Some of the entries are cities, some are nations, while others seem to bear no relation to the rest. The good news is that we’re here to help you out. First, we’ll give you some spoiler-free hints to nudge you in the direction of the answers. Then, we’ll reveal one word from each group, followed by the list of themes. Finally, you can have the answers and their explanations. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1,116, July 1, 2026).

Read Also: OnePlus N6 Vs Realme P4R: Which is a better value-for-money phone?

What is Connections?

After Wordle, Connections is the New York Times’ most popular word game. The rules are simple. You need to find words with a common theme and group them into 4 groups of 4. The 16-word grid is designed with an increasing level of difficulty. The Yellow group is the easiest to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple. The misdirects and red herrings can trip you up, but they also make the puzzle more fun. You can play Connections in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.

Some tips to solve Connections

Look for the obvious patterns: Not every category in the puzzle is confusing. The Yellow and Green category words are relatively easy to spot. However, if something seems too obvious, it could be a red herring. Typically, the first two categories comprise verbs and adjectives. The misdirects are often nouns.

Double-check your submissions: ‘Do not overthink’ is usually a good tip for solving most puzzles, but it doesn’t really apply to Connections. Before submitting a set of words, you should always check whether they fit somewhere else too.

Hit a dead end? Use the shuffle button: The shuffle button at the bottom of the grid exists for a reason. Placing the words in different positions can spark new connections. Think of it as a mental refresh. New patterns will emerge, and you may be able to find a breakthrough.

Tackle the Purple category with extra caution: The Connections team is known to serve up the toughest and most unexpected words for the Purple category. Here are some of the common tropes that you should look out for:

• Homophones (For example: ‘Where’, ‘Wear’, ‘Ware’, and ‘Weir’)
• Words within words (For example: ‘Slip’, ‘Hear’, ‘Keyes’, and ‘Undiagnosed’ could be ‘Words containing parts of the face’)
• Words minus a letter (For example: ‘Anther’, ‘Easel’, ‘Hark’, and ‘Lama’ could be ‘Animals minus starting letter’)
• Words preceded or followed by another word (For example: ‘Face’, ‘Sports’, ‘Note’, and ‘Year’ could be ‘____ Book’)

Here’s your grid for today

• CHICAGO
• LONG ISLAND
• NIGERIA
• COLOGNE
• INDIANAPOLIS
• MUNICH
• LIMERICK
• SINGAPORE
• CASABLANCA
• CUBA
• DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
• CHAMPAGNE
• GUINEA-BISSAU
• CHINA
• FARGO
• MOSCOW

Hints for NYT Connections (#1,116) July 1, 2026

Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Items with names associated with geographic locations.
• 🟢Green Group: Feature films that have made an appearance at the Academy Awards.
• 🔵Blue Group: Featuring in the names of certain alcoholic beverages.
• 🟣Purple Group: Country-themed wordplay.

One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)

Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Champagne.
• 🟢Green Group: Casablanca.
• 🔵Blue Group: Cuba.
• 🟣Purple Group: Dominican Republic.

List of Themes (Major Spoilers)

Maybe getting to know the common themes among the words will help you spot them faster. Here are all the categories for today.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Things Named After Places.
• 🟢Green Group: Best Picture Winners/Nominees.
• 🔵Blue Group: Places In Cocktail Names.
• 🟣Purple Group: Starting With Countries.

Answers to NYT Connections (#1,116) Today (July 1, 2026)

Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Champagne, China, Cologne, Limerick. (Things Named After Places)

Champagne is a kind of sparkling wine that originates from Champagne, France. China is a term used for dinnerware with ceramic that’s exported from China. Cologne is a word used for perfumes and fragrances, based on their location of origin in Germany. A limerick is a short, humorous poem consisting of 5 lines. It originated in the city of Limerick in Ireland.

• 🟢Green Group: Casablanca, Chicago, Fargo, Munich. (Best Picture Winners/Nominees)

Casablanca (1944 Winner, Best Picture), Chicago (2003 Winner, Best Picture), Fargo (1997 Nominee, Best Picture), Munich (2006 Nominee, Best Picture).

• 🔵Blue Group: Cuba, Long Island, Moscow, Singapore. (Places In Cocktail Names)

Cuba (Cuba Libre), Long Island (Long Island Iced Tea), Moscow (Moscow Mule), Singapore (Singapore Sling). 

• 🟣Purple Group: Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Indianapolis, Nigeria. (Starting With Countries)

Dominican Republic (Dominica), Guinea-Bissau (Guinea), Indianapolis (India), Nigeria (Niger).

Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,115, June 30, 2026)

• 🟡Yellow Group: Fence, Gate, Hedge, Wall. (Dividing Structures)
• 🟢Green Group: Curl, Luge, Skate, Ski. (Participate In Some Winter Olympics)
• 🔵Blue Group: Bottle, Box, Can, Newspaper. (Common Recyclables)
• 🟣Purple Group: Breeze, On Tap, Recruit, Sketch. (What ‘Draft’ Might Refer To)

Answers to NYT Connections #1,114 (June 29, 2026)

• 🟡Yellow Group: Miscreant, Rogue, Ruffian, Scoundrel. (Old Timey Troublemakers)
• 🟢Green Group: Crush, Guzzle, Inhale, Snarf. (Consume With Gusto)
• 🔵Blue Group: Cabinet, Cone, Magnet, Woofer. (Parts Of A Speaker)
• 🟣Purple Group: Embark, Groot, Nudibranch, Strunk. (Ending In Parts Of A Tree)

Answers to NYT Connections #1,113 (June 28, 2026)

• 🟡Yellow Group: Choice, Fine, Prime, Select. (High-Quality)
• 🟢Green Group: Begin, Go, Now, Start. (Signals To Commence)
• 🔵Blue Group: Capo, Pick, Slide, Strap. (Accessories For A Guitarist)
• 🟣Purple Group: Chess, Corporation, Darts, Surfer. (They Have Boards)

Read Also: WhatsApp usernames are on their way: Here’s how you can reserve yours

How did other Connectors do today?

NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 2.8 out of 5. This puts it in the medium difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!