At first glance, today’s Connections grid looks like a tough solve, but once you lock in and focus, you can put away the categories one by one. However, if you’re on your last attempt, we recommend taking a look at the hints we’ve come up with for you. If you don’t want to take any chances, we recommend scrolling further down for the answer key. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1,117, July 2, 2026).
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In This Article
What is Connections?
Connections is a popular word game from The New York Times. In terms of popularity, it only trails behind Wordle in the NYT’s catalogue. The rules of the game are simple. You are presented with a 16-word grid where you’re supposed to find the entries that share something in common. There are a total of 4 groups, each consisting of 4 letters, that you must find. The Yellow group is the easiest to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple. Sometimes, there are a couple of red herrings to throw you off and make the puzzle more interesting. You can play Connections in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.
Here’s your grid for today
- MOCKINGBIRD
- FIELD MOUSE
- TOM-TOM
- COURT JESTER
- MIME
- LOOKING GLASS
- TRACK RECORD
- BILLY GOAT
- DIAMOND RING
- SPECTACLES
- DAN DAN NOODLES
- COPYCAT
- TALKIE
- RICH TEXT
- T-1000
- WATER CLOSET
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,117) July 2, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Imitator.
- 🟢Green Group: Old names for common things.
- 🔵Blue Group: Proper noun at the start.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting with places where sports are played.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Copycat.
- 🟢Green Group: Looking Glass.
- 🔵Blue Group: Billy Goat.
- 🟣Purple Group: Court Jester.
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: They Impersonate Other Things.
- 🟢Green Group: Old-Timey Names For Things We Still Use.
- 🔵Blue Group: Starting With Nicknames.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting With Sports Venues.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,117) Today (July 2, 2027)
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Copycat, Mime, Mockingbird, T-1000. (They Impersonate Other Things)
The last entry in this group may have stumped users who have not seen Terminator 2 (1991). T-1000 is a Skynet creation that can shapeshift into people and objects that come in contact with it.
- 🟢Green Group: Looking Glass, Spectacles, Talkie, Water Closet. (Old-Timey Names For Things We Still Use)
Looking Glass – Mirror. Spectacles – Prescription glasses. Talkie – A movie with sound. Water Closet – Flush compartment in a toilet.
- 🔵Blue Group: Billy Goat, Dan Dan Noodles, Rich Text, Tom-Tom. (Starting With Nicknames)
This is a pretty self-explanatory group. Many of you may have solved this category first.
- 🟣Purple Group: Court Jester, Diamond Ring, Field Mouse, Track Record. (Starting With Sports Venues)
Court – Tennis. Diamond – Baseball. Field – Football. Track – Running.
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,116, July 1, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Champagne, China, Cologne, Limerick. (Things Named After Places)
- 🟢Green Group: Casablanca, Chicago, Fargo, Munich. (Best Picture Winners/Nominees)
- 🔵Blue Group: Cuba, Long Island, Moscow, Singapore. (Places In Cocktail Names)
- 🟣Purple Group: Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Indianapolis, Nigeria. (Starting With Countries)
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How did other solvers do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 2 out of 5. This puts it in the medium difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!
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