What is the NYT Connections answer for July 9 (#1124)?

The four groups are NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS (NA, SPIRIT-FREE, VIRGIN, ZERO-PROOF); MUSIC PUBLICATIONS (BILLBOARD, PITCHFORK, ROLLING STONE, SPIN); KINDS OF RUGS (PERSIAN, PRAYER, SHAG, THROW); PONTIAC MODELS (FIREBIRD, G6, GRAND PRIX, TRANS AM).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "PONTIAC MODELS" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.

What do the Connections colors mean?

Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.

Thursday, July 9, 2026#1124

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Thursday, July 9

DailyWordHints Editorial July 9

NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS

Easiest

MUSIC PUBLICATIONS

Easy

KINDS OF RUGS

Tricky

PONTIAC MODELS

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS (yellow), MUSIC PUBLICATIONS (green), KINDS OF RUGS (blue), PONTIAC MODELS (purple).

THROW

VIRGIN

SPIN

PRAYER

ROLLING STONE

PERSIAN

FIREBIRD

SHAG

ZERO-PROOF

GRAND PRIX

BILLBOARD

TRANS AM

PITCHFORK

SPIRIT-FREE

Hints by group

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

Full answers below

Today’s answers

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

See all past Connections puzzles →

Today's Connections hints (no answers yet)

Here are spoiler-free nudges for NYT Connections #1124, Thursday, July 9. Reveal one color at a time and work from the easiest group (yellow) to the trickiest (purple).

How to use these hints

Each clue is written so it never names any of the sixteen words — it just points you in the right direction. Open the full answer only once you're truly stuck.

Strategy for solving today's grid

Lock in the group you're most confident about first to shrink the board, but resist the obvious four-of-a-kind — the puzzle almost always plants a word that fits two themes. Save the purple group for last; it usually hides the wordplay twist.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NYT Connections answer for July 9 (#1124)?: The four groups are NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS (NA, SPIRIT-FREE, VIRGIN, ZERO-PROOF); MUSIC PUBLICATIONS (BILLBOARD, PITCHFORK, ROLLING STONE, SPIN); KINDS OF RUGS (PERSIAN, PRAYER, SHAG, THROW); PONTIAC MODELS (FIREBIRD, G6, GRAND PRIX, TRANS AM).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "PONTIAC MODELS" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.
What do the Connections colors mean?: Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.