Connections #1246 hints
Yellow is usually the easiest group and purple the trickiest. Start with one colour and see if the rest falls into place.
Hints revealed: 0
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Yellow group hintGentle hint
Gym regulars with sharp definition and plenty of muscle fit this group.
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Green group hintGentle hint
You might book one of these with your stylist when you want a fresh look.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Pull back from the details and these help you see the full story.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Say these out loud and you will hear something that grows in a garden.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint: names board words
CUT and TRIM both look like grooming words, but CUT actually belongs with the words about a strong physique.
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The four group namesStrong hint: reveals all four categories
- MUSCULAR
- HAIR SALON SERVICES
- THINGS THAT HELP MAKE SENSE OF A SITUATION
- VEGETABLE HOMOPHONES
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Difficulty: Medium. The reason is in the answers section, since it can name the groups.
Play Connections #1246
Try a group here before you risk a mistake in the real game. Four mistakes are allowed, and nothing is saved. The longest word on this board is PERSPECTIVE and the shortest is CUT.
Connections #1246 answers
The groups for November 8, 2026 are below, each with a reason for every word.
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
BUILT is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is MUSCULAR.
Show all four words
BUILT, CUT, JACKED, RIPPED
Show one word
BLOWOUT is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is HAIR SALON SERVICES.
Show all four words
BLOWOUT, COLOR, EXTENSIONS, TRIM
Show one word
CLARITY is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is THINGS THAT HELP MAKE SENSE OF A SITUATION.
Show all four words
CLARITY, CONTEXT, INSIGHT, PERSPECTIVE
Show one word
CARAT is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is VEGETABLE HOMOPHONES.
Show all four words
CARAT, CHARRED, KORN, LEAK
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- BUILT: Describes a person with a strong, muscular frame.
- CUT: Means having sharply defined muscles with little body fat.
- JACKED: Slang for very muscular.
- RIPPED: Means lean with muscles clearly visible.
- BLOWOUT: A styling service that dries and smooths the hair.
- COLOR: A dye service to change the shade of your hair.
- EXTENSIONS: Added strands that make hair longer or fuller.
- TRIM: A light cut to remove split ends and keep the shape.
- CLARITY: Being clear helps you grasp what is going on.
- CONTEXT: Background details that explain why something happened.
- INSIGHT: A deeper understanding of what is really happening.
- PERSPECTIVE: A point of view that helps you judge things fairly.
Purple group explained
- CARAT: Sounds like carrot.
- CHARRED: Sounds like chard, the leafy green.
- KORN: Sounds like corn.
- LEAK: Sounds like leek, the onion relative.
Why it rated medium: The purple group needs you to sound out odd spellings, and the blue group has several words with very close meanings.
Puzzle note
When two words seem to fit the same obvious group, check whether one has a second meaning before you commit. Here CUT and TRIM both scream haircut, but CUT actually joins BUILT, JACKED and RIPPED as a word for a strong physique. That frees TRIM for the salon, alongside BLOWOUT, COLOR and EXTENSIONS. Easy to second guess!
What does KORN mean?
A hard-rock band from California, known for the nu metal sound. Here it is spelled to sound like 'corn', which makes it a vegetable homophone rather than a music reference.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 7 | #1245 | ENDS OF STORM TYPES |
| Nov 6 | #1244 | ENDING IN PARTS OF THE EYE |
| Nov 5 | #1243 | LIQUORS WITH LAST LETTERS CHANGED |
| Nov 4 | #1242 | FIRE___ |
| Nov 3 | #1241 | ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS |
| Nov 2 | #1240 | THINGS WITH MIRRORS |
| Nov 1 | #1239 | SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED |
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 Nov 8
Connections #1246 questions
How hard was Connections #1246?
We rated it medium.
What were the Connections answers on November 8, 2026?
MUSCULAR: BUILT, CUT, JACKED, RIPPED. HAIR SALON SERVICES: BLOWOUT, COLOR, EXTENSIONS, TRIM. THINGS THAT HELP MAKE SENSE OF A SITUATION: CLARITY, CONTEXT, INSIGHT, PERSPECTIVE. VEGETABLE HOMOPHONES: CARAT, CHARRED, KORN, LEAK.
What was the purple group in Connections #1246?
VEGETABLE HOMOPHONES: CARAT, CHARRED, KORN, LEAK.
What made Connections #1246 tricky?
CUT and TRIM both look like grooming words, but CUT actually belongs with the words about a strong physique.
What was the easiest group in Connections #1246?
Usually yellow, which was MUSCULAR: BUILT, CUT, JACKED, RIPPED.