Today’s Connections puzzle is one of the easiest we’ve seen in a while. If you’re finding it hard to knock down the categories, you probably need a gentle push in the right direction. We’ve curated some spoiler-free hints to guide you along. Those who need something more definitive can take a look at one word from each category and the list of themes. If you only have one attempt left, we suggest you go straight to the answers at the bottom of the page. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1,185, September 8, 2026).
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In This Article
What is Connections?
The New York Times has a thriving online word game section, with Connections being the second-most-played title behind the crown jewel, Wordle. The rules of this game are simple – you need to find 4 groups comprising 4 words each in a 16-word grid. The words in each group are united by a common theme. The Yellow group is the easiest one to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple (toughest). Sometimes, there are red herrings and misdirects in the grid to throw you off your game, so don’t take your thinking cap off at any time! Ready to lock in? You can play Connections in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.
Here’s your grid for today
- PURPLE
- STRIPES
- SKORT
- GLOVES
- CORVETTE
- ARTICHOKE
- DOVES
- MARSH
- SACRED
- BERET
- VIPER
- TWIXT
- SUSPENDERS
- MUSTANG
- TAKE TO
- FIREBIRD
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,185) September 8, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Iconic four-wheelers.
- 🟢Green Group: French performance artist’s common look.
- 🔵Blue Group: Followed by a word that’s also a vital organ of the human body.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting with the names of treats given out on Halloween.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Corvette.
- 🟢Green Group: Beret.
- 🔵Blue Group: Artichoke.
- 🟣Purple Group: Doves.
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: Classic American Performance Cars.
- 🟢Green Group: Features Of A Mime Costume.
- 🔵Blue Group: ___ Heart.
- 🟣Purple Group: Candy Bars Plus A Letter.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,185) Today (September 8, 2026)
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Corvette, Firebird, Mustang, Viper. (Classic American Performance Cars)
Corvette (Chevrolet). Firebird (Pontiac). Mustang (Ford). Viper (Dodge).
- 🟢Green Group: Beret, Gloves, Stripes, Suspenders. (Features Of A Mime Costume)
Mimes are traditionally known to wear these things.
- 🔵Blue Group: Artichoke, Purple, Sacred, Take To. (___ Heart)
Artichoke heart – The tender, fleshy base of an artichoke. Purple heart – US military decoration. Sacred heart – Popular depiction of Jesus in Christian art. Take to heart – Take something someone said seriously.
- 🟣Purple Group: Doves, Marsh, Skort, Twixt. (Candy Bars Plus A Letter)
Dove-s. Mars-h. Skor-t. Twix-t.
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,184, September 7, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Fabrication, Fish Story, Tall Tale, Yarn. (Quite The Saga)
- 🟢Green Group: Cup, Hook, Strap, Underwire. (Parts Of A Bra)
- 🔵Blue Group: Car Air Freshener, Christmas, Needles, Turpentine. (Associated With Pine Trees)
- 🟣Purple Group: Plutonium, Scar Tissue, Stitch Maker, Trampoline. (Starting With Disney Characters)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,183 (September 6, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Blank Check, Carte Blanche, Free Reign, Full Authority. (Unrestricted Permission)
- 🟢Green Group: Card Slot, Headphone Jack, Optical Drive, USB Port. (Places To Insert Something In A Computer)
- 🔵Blue Group: ATM Machine, LCD Display, PIN Number, UPC Code. (Abbreviations Followed By Redundant Word)
- 🟣Purple Group: Court Scribe, Director’s Cut, Pizza Slice, SAT Score. (Ending With Words To Carve A Surface)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,182 (September 5, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Sway, Toddle, Totter, Wobble. (Move Unsteadily)
- 🟢Green Group: Coo, Gobble, Honk, Warble. (Bird Onomatopoeia)
- 🔵Blue Group: Bobble, Hammer, Jug, Sleepy. (___ Head)
- 🟣Purple Group: Cobble, Pi, Tar, Tort. (Desserts Minus Last Letter)
How did other solvers do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connections puzzle 1.7 out of 5. This puts it in the easy difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!
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