NYT Connections Hints & Answers — Thursday, July 2, 2026 (#1117)

Puzzle #1117. Start with a gentle nudge and work down — the full answers are at the bottom, hidden until you ask for them.

Just tell me the answer

The NYT Connections answer for Thursday, July 2, 2026 (puzzle #1117) is: YELLOW — THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS: COPYCAT, MIME, MOCKINGBIRD, T-1000. GREEN — OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE: LOOKING GLASS, SPECTACLES, TALKIE, WATER CLOSET. BLUE — STARTING WITH NICKNAMES: BILLY GOAT, DAN DAN NOODLES, RICH TEXT, TOM-TOM. PURPLE — STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES: COURT JESTER, DIAMOND RING, FIELD MOUSE, TRACK RECORD.

Today's 16 words

The grid exactly as NYT laid it out for Thursday, July 2, 2026. Nothing below this point is spoiled until you open it.

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

How hard is Connections #1117?

Easy35/100
  • At least one entry is a phrase rather than a single word.

Where to start: Every category here is meaning-based, so group by topic first and use the four-per-group constraint to settle any word that could go two ways.

Connections hints for Thursday, July 2, 2026

Four levels, each giving away a little more. Open only as many as you need.

NYT Connections answers for Thursday, July 2, 2026

Keep playing

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Common questions

What is the NYT Connections answer for Thursday, July 2, 2026?

The NYT Connections answer for Thursday, July 2, 2026 (puzzle #1117) is: YELLOW — THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS: COPYCAT, MIME, MOCKINGBIRD, T-1000. GREEN — OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE: LOOKING GLASS, SPECTACLES, TALKIE, WATER CLOSET. BLUE — STARTING WITH NICKNAMES: BILLY GOAT, DAN DAN NOODLES, RICH TEXT, TOM-TOM. PURPLE — STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES: COURT JESTER, DIAMOND RING, FIELD MOUSE, TRACK RECORD.

What is the purple group in Connections #1117?

The purple (hardest) group is "STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES": COURT JESTER, DIAMOND RING, FIELD MOUSE, TRACK RECORD.

What is the easiest group in today's Connections puzzle?

The yellow group is the most straightforward: "THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS" — COPYCAT, MIME, MOCKINGBIRD, T-1000. Solving it first removes four words from the grid.

What number is today's Connections puzzle?

Thursday, July 2, 2026 is NYT Connections puzzle #1117. Connections launched on 12 June 2023 with puzzle #1, and a new puzzle is published every day.

What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle come out?

A new Connections puzzle unlocks at midnight in your own local time zone, so the changeover happens at a different moment around the world. The puzzle itself is the same for everyone on a given date.