Play Connections #1197
These are the 16 words in the order NYT shows them. Tap four words you think belong together and press Submit. You get four mistakes, and we'll tell you when you are one word away. Nothing is saved, so you can practise without touching your real streak.
Connections #1197 hints
Yellow is usually the easiest group and purple the trickiest. Start with one colour and see if the rest falls into place.
Hints used: 0
-
Yellow group hintGentle hint
Picture the outline of each one when seen from directly above.
Was this hint -
Green group hintGentle hint
These are all famous calling cards of one particular Southern state.
Was this hint -
Blue group hintHelpful hint
These are titles from the big screen, ranging from recent hits to cult classics.
Was this hint -
Purple group hintHelpful hint
Each word can take the same ending to name a fun way to get around.
Was this hint -
Where's the trap?Strong hint
BLADE might pull you toward the skating and winter-sports words, and BLU-RAY and BLUEGRASS both start with a color word that could suggest a false group.
Was this hint -
The four group namesStrong hint
- ROUND FLAT THINGS
- ASSOCIATED WITH KENTUCKY
- VAMPIRE MOVIES
- ___BOARDS YOU RIDE ON
Was this hint
Difficulty: Medium. A couple of the film titles are easy to mistake for something else, and one group depends on spotting a shared shape rather than a theme.
Connections #1197 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for September 20, 2026, with why each word fits.
Reveal one group at a time
Each colour opens in three steps: one word from the group, then the group name, then all four words. Stop as soon as you can finish it yourself.
Show one word
BLU-RAY is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ROUND FLAT THINGS.
Show all four words
BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA
Show one word
BLUEGRASS is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ASSOCIATED WITH KENTUCKY.
Show all four words
BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN
Show one word
BLADE is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is VAMPIRE MOVIES.
Show all four words
BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT
Show one word
HOVER is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ___BOARDS YOU RIDE ON.
Show all four words
HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- BLU-RAY: A shiny disc with a circular, flat shape
- COASTER: A flat circle that protects tables from drink rings
- SAND DOLLAR: A round, flat sea creature skeleton found on beaches
- TORTILLA: A thin, round flatbread
- BLUEGRASS: Music genre and nickname tied to the Bluegrass State
- BOURBON: Whiskey famously distilled in Kentucky
- DERBY: The Kentucky Derby is its famous horse race
- FRIED CHICKEN: The signature food of the state's best-known chain
- BLADE: Wesley Snipes plays a half-vampire hunter
- NEAR DARK: 1987 cult film about a vampire family in the Midwest
- SINNERS: 2025 film with vampires in the Jim Crow South
- TWILIGHT: Teen romance saga about Bella and Edward
Purple group explained
- HOVER: Hoverboards are the futuristic, floating ride
- SKATE: Skateboards are ridden on pavement and in parks
- SNOW: Snowboards glide down slopes
- SURF: Surfboards are ridden on waves
What does SINNERS mean?
A 2025 period horror film directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers who open a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi and face vampires. It fits the vampire movies group.
What does NEAR DARK mean?
A 1987 vampire western-horror film directed by Kathryn Bigelow, about a young farm boy drawn into a nomadic family of vampires roaming the American Midwest. It fits the vampire movies group.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 19 | #1196 | STARTING WITH ABBREVIATED MATH FUNCTIONS |
| Sep 18 | #1195 | ___CASE |
| Sep 17 | #1194 | LOVE ___ |
| Sep 16 | #1193 | SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER |
| Sep 15 | #1192 | THINGS THAT APPEAR AT THE END |
| Sep 14 | #1191 | ___GRASS |
| Sep 13 | #1190 | ENDING IN ELEVATED LANDFORMS |
About Connections
Connections is a daily New York Times puzzle where you sort 16 words into four groups of four. Groups are colour-coded from yellow, the most direct, to purple, which usually relies on wordplay. You can make four mistakes. Looking back at past puzzles is one of the best ways to learn the kinds of tricks the editors like to use.
Other puzzles on Sep 20
Connections #1197 questions
What were the Connections answers on 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.
What was the purple group in Connections #1197?
___BOARDS YOU RIDE ON: HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF.
What made Connections #1197 tricky?
BLADE might pull you toward the skating and winter-sports words, and BLU-RAY and BLUEGRASS both start with a color word that could suggest a false group.