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.
yellow(the most straightforward group — start here) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about things.
green(a little trickier, but still direct) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about use.
blue(where the misdirection usually starts) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about nicknames.
purple(the wordplay group, and almost always the last to fall) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about venues.
yellow4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
green4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
blue4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
purple4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
yellowOne member is
greenOne member is
blueOne member is
purpleOne member is
yellow
green
blue
purple
NYT Connections answers for Thursday, July 2, 2026
yellow — Easiest
THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS
COPYCAT · MIME · MOCKINGBIRD · T-1000
green — Easy
OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE
LOOKING GLASS · SPECTACLES · TALKIE · WATER CLOSET
blue — Tricky
STARTING WITH NICKNAMES
BILLY GOAT · DAN DAN NOODLES · RICH TEXT · TOM-TOM
purple — Trickiest
STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES
COURT JESTER · DIAMOND RING · FIELD MOUSE · TRACK RECORD
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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.