NYT CONNECTIONS HELP
Connections Hints for Sep 30, 2026
Puzzle #1207
Choose a word or reveal a clue when you need it.
Words in This Puzzle
16 wordsSelect a word to see its meaning and why it may be tricky.
TAMBOURINE
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A handheld percussion instrument with small metal jingles, sometimes with a drumhead.
Why It May Be Tricky
The type of object is one clue, but how it is used may be more useful than what it is called.
SEPTUM
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A dividing wall or partition in the body, especially the tissue separating the two nasal passages.
Why It May Be Tricky
The anatomy meaning is real, but the spelling can matter independently of that meaning.
DECENT
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
Acceptable, respectable or reasonably good.
Why It May Be Tricky
Its ordinary definition may not supply the puzzle link. Check the written word as well as the idea it expresses.
BOND
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A connection or attachment; a financial debt instrument; also the surname of fictional spy James Bond.
Why It May Be Tricky
Its financial and spy associations are both strong on this board. A plausible theme still needs four exact members.
MARTINI
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A cocktail traditionally made with gin and vermouth; vodka versions are also common.
Why It May Be Tricky
A cultural association may pull you toward a character or film, rather than a property of the drink itself.
OPTION
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A possible choice. In finance, an option is a contract giving its holder a right to buy or sell under specified terms.
Why It May Be Tricky
The ordinary choice meaning and the financial contract meaning lead in different directions.
NOVELTY
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
Newness, something unusual, or an item valued for its amusing or unfamiliar character.
Why It May Be Tricky
The meaning points toward unusual objects, but a spelling pattern may matter instead.
CASINO
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A place for gambling; also the title of a crime film.
Why It May Be Tricky
A place and a film title are different kinds of entry. Be careful not to substitute a longer title that is not printed.
SPRAY PAINT
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
Paint applied as a fine mist, commonly from a pressurized aerosol can.
Why It May Be Tricky
Think about how the product is prepared and used, rather than only its color or container.
OCTOPUSSY
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
The title of a James Bond film and the name of a character in that story.
Why It May Be Tricky
It has an obvious spy-film association, but titles can also carry letter patterns unrelated to their plots.
DONNIE BRASCO
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A crime-film title and the undercover identity at the center of its story.
Why It May Be Tricky
A person's name on the board may need to be read as the title of a work.
FUTURE
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
Time that has not yet arrived. In a trading context, a future is a contract for a transaction at an agreed later date.
Why It May Be Tricky
The everyday time meaning is not its only use. The tile uses the singular form, even though “futures” is common in finance.
BUGSY
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A nickname associated with gangster Benjamin Siegel; also the title of a film about him.
Why It May Be Tricky
It looks like a personal nickname, but that same name can identify a work.
ETCH A SKETCH
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A drawing toy whose two knobs move a stylus across its screen.
Why It May Be Tricky
Recognizing the toy is only part of the job. Think about what you do with it beyond drawing.
STOCK
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
Company shares, goods kept available, or a liquid used in cooking. It can also mean standard as an adjective.
Why It May Be Tricky
Several meanings are valid, so a broad association such as “things with value” is not precise enough.
SCARFACE
A familiar word with several possible readings.
Meaning
A nickname describing a facial scar; also a title used by gangster films.
Why It May Be Tricky
A descriptive nickname can conceal a film-title reading.
Connection Help
Choose any group and reveal only the help you want.
Puzzle’s 16 Words
Small Nudge
Get a gentle hint without revealing the group.
Try a marketplace reading of some everyday terms.
Group
Reveal the four words in this group.
BOND · FUTURE · OPTION · STOCK
Connection
Reveal what these four words have in common.
SECURITIES
Why They Connect
See why these four words belong together.
These entries refer to traded financial instruments in the puzzle's category. BOND and STOCK name debt and equity instruments; FUTURE and OPTION refer to contracts, rather than their everyday time and choice meanings.
Small Nudge
Get a gentle hint without revealing the group.
Focus on an action that can be part of using very different objects.
Group
Reveal the four words in this group.
ETCH A SKETCH · MARTINI · SPRAY PAINT · TAMBOURINE
Connection
Reveal what these four words have in common.
THINGS THAT ARE SHAKEN (NOT STIRRED)
Why They Connect
See why these four words belong together.
Shaking clears an Etch A Sketch, mixes spray paint, and makes a tambourine's jingles sound; a martini can also be prepared by shaking. The cocktail supplies the “not stirred” joke, not a rule that every martini must be shaken.
Small Nudge
Get a gentle hint without revealing the group.
Read some entries as titles, then think about the stories behind them.
Group
Reveal the four words in this group.
BUGSY · CASINO · DONNIE BRASCO · SCARFACE
Connection
Reveal what these four words have in common.
GANGSTER MOVIES
Why They Connect
See why these four words belong together.
Each entry is the title of a film centered on gangsters or organized crime. The required link is the kind of film, not simply having appeared as a name or title somewhere.
Small Nudge
Get a gentle hint without revealing the group.
Read the beginnings of the words separately from the rest.
Group
Reveal the four words in this group.
DECENT · NOVELTY · OCTOPUSSY · SEPTUM
Connection
Reveal what these four words have in common.
STARTING WITH MONTH ABBREVIATIONS
Why They Connect
See why these four words belong together.
DECENT starts with DEC, NOVELTY with NOV, OCTOPUSSY with OCT, and SEPTUM with SEPT, abbreviations for December, November, October and September. SEPT is a four-letter abbreviation, so this is not a uniform three-letter pattern. MARTINI also begins with MAR, a familiar abbreviation for March, but it belongs to the shaken-things group on this board; SEPTUM supplies SEPT here.
Reveal All 4 Groups
See the four complete group answers only when you're ready.
Yellow Group
SECURITIESBOND · FUTURE · OPTION · STOCK
Why They Connect
These entries refer to traded financial instruments in the puzzle's category. BOND and STOCK name debt and equity instruments; FUTURE and OPTION refer to contracts, rather than their everyday time and choice meanings.
Green Group
THINGS THAT ARE SHAKEN (NOT STIRRED)ETCH A SKETCH · MARTINI · SPRAY PAINT · TAMBOURINE
Why They Connect
Shaking clears an Etch A Sketch, mixes spray paint, and makes a tambourine's jingles sound; a martini can also be prepared by shaking. The cocktail supplies the “not stirred” joke, not a rule that every martini must be shaken.
Blue Group
GANGSTER MOVIESBUGSY · CASINO · DONNIE BRASCO · SCARFACE
Why They Connect
Each entry is the title of a film centered on gangsters or organized crime. The required link is the kind of film, not simply having appeared as a name or title somewhere.
Purple Group
STARTING WITH MONTH ABBREVIATIONSDECENT · NOVELTY · OCTOPUSSY · SEPTUM
Why They Connect
DECENT starts with DEC, NOVELTY with NOV, OCTOPUSSY with OCT, and SEPTUM with SEPT, abbreviations for December, November, October and September. SEPT is a four-letter abbreviation, so this is not a uniform three-letter pattern. MARTINI also begins with MAR, a familiar abbreviation for March, but it belongs to the shaken-things group on this board; SEPTUM supplies SEPT here.
How Our Connections Hints Work
Choose a word to understand its meaning and why it might be tricky in this puzzle.
For each group, reveal a small nudge, the four words, the connection, or the explanation separately.
Reveal All 4 Groups shows the complete answers when you are ready.