Sunday’s NYT Connections puzzle is here, and today’s grid throws together movies, Kentucky trivia, and a few words that are easy to misread. If you’re staring at all 16 words and running out of guesses, this guide should help.
We’ve got the spoiler-free hints first, followed by the full answers for Connections #1197. Stop whenever you’ve got enough help to finish the puzzle yourself.
What Are Today’s NYT Connections Hints?
Want a few nudges before seeing the answers? Try these:
- One group is connected to Kentucky.
- Blu-Ray and Tortilla have something obvious in common if you think about their shape.
- One group consists of vampire movies, ranging from a comic-book-inspired hunter to a major recent hit.
- Add the same word to each item in one group and you get something you can ride. Some have wheels, while one doesn’t.
If those clues are enough, head back to the puzzle and give it another shot. Still stuck? The full solution is below.
What Are Today’s NYT Connections Answers?
Here are the four groups from Connections #1197, released on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
- Round flat things – BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA
- Associated with Kentucky – BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN
- Vampire movies – BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT
- ___boards you ride on – HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF
That’s the complete solution. Now let’s break down why each group works.
Group Breakdown
Round Flat Things: Blu-Ray, Coaster, Sand Dollar, Tortilla
This is probably the most random-looking group at first.
A Blu-Ray disc, a coaster, a sand dollar, and a tortilla are all round and relatively flat. That’s the connection.
The tricky word here is Coaster. You might immediately think of a roller coaster and assume it belongs with something you ride, which can send you down the wrong path.
Associated With Kentucky: Bluegrass, Bourbon, Derby, Fried Chicken
These four words all have strong connections to Kentucky.
Bluegrass is closely associated with the state, Kentucky is famous for bourbon, the Kentucky Derby is one of its biggest annual events, and fried chicken is another food strongly linked with Kentucky.
Derby is the word that can throw you off. It has plenty of other meanings, but in this puzzle, the Kentucky connection is the one that matters.
Vampire Movies: Blade, Near Dark, Sinners, Twilight
All four are vampire movies or franchises.
Blade follows the comic-book vampire hunter, while Near Dark is a cult vampire movie from the late 1980s. Twilight became a massive supernatural romance franchise, and Sinners is the more recent addition to the group.
Blade is particularly sneaky because it can look like it belongs with words connected to skating or boards.
___boards You Ride On: Hover, Skate, Snow, Surf
This one becomes much easier once you add board to each word:
- Hover + board = hoverboard
- Skate + board = skateboard
- Snow + board = snowboard
- Surf + board = surfboard
Each is designed for a different type of riding. Skateboards have wheels, snowboards are made for slopes, surfboards are used on waves, and hoverboards have the futuristic name that makes them stand out.
Tips for Solving Connections Faster
You only get four mistakes in Connections, so it’s worth taking a second to look for stronger links before submitting a group.
- Start with the category you’re most confident about. The vampire movies and Kentucky-related words are good places to begin today.
- Look out for words with multiple possible meanings. Coaster and Blade can both pull you toward another category.
- Try the shuffle button. Sometimes simply changing the position of the words makes a connection much easier to see.
- Keep the difficulty colors in mind. The categories generally progress from yellow, the easiest, to purple, the trickiest.
About NYT Connections
Connections is The New York Times’ daily word-association puzzle. It launched in 2023 and challenges players to divide 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared connection.
The puzzles are created by The New York Times’ crossword team, with Wyna Liu serving as editor. A big part of the challenge comes from words that appear to fit more than one category.
Final Thoughts
Connections #1197 makes for a pretty approachable Sunday puzzle, although there are enough overlapping clues to cause a few wrong guesses.
Once you recognize the round, flat objects and the Kentucky connections, the remaining groups become much easier to piece together.
Come back tomorrow for the next Connections puzzle, and follow GamerUrge for more gaming news, guides, and daily puzzle help.
