Connections Hints

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — September 3, 2026

Jump to a hint level
Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
← Back to hint toolLoad any date with the interactive hint ladder
Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

AVERAGE
BLINK
CARMINE
CINNABAR
COUNT
FLASH
HEARTBEAT
HOT WHEELS
MAROON
MATCHBOX
MAX
MICRO MACHINES
SUM
TONKA
TRICE
VERMILLION
↑ Back to top
Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB'S TAILStraightforward
SHADES OF REDModerate
TOY CAR BRANDSTricky
SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONSDevious
↑ Back to top
One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB'S TAILStraightforward
THESE WORDS ALL MEAN 'IN A VERY SHORT MOMENT'+ 3 more…
SHADES OF REDModerate
THESE ARE ALL SPECIFIC NAMES FOR A PARTICULAR WARM COLOR+ 3 more…
TOY CAR BRANDSTricky
THESE ARE ALL MINIATURE VEHICLE TOY LINES+ 3 more…
SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONSDevious
YOU'D TYPE THESE INTO A CELL PRECEDED BY AN EQUALS SIGN+ 3 more…
↑ Back to top
Full solution
TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB'S TAILStraightforward
BLINK,FLASH,HEARTBEAT,TRICE

BLINK, FLASH, HEARTBEAT, and TRICE are all informal expressions meaning a very brief period of time, synonymous with the phrase 'two shakes of a lamb's tail.'

SHADES OF REDModerate
CARMINE,CINNABAR,MAROON,VERMILLION

CARMINE, CINNABAR, MAROON, and VERMILLION are all distinct shades or variations of the color red.

TOY CAR BRANDSTricky
HOT WHEELS,MATCHBOX,MICRO MACHINES,TONKA

HOT WHEELS, MATCHBOX, MICRO MACHINES, and TONKA are all well-known toy car or vehicle brands beloved by children.

SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONSDevious
AVERAGE,COUNT,MAX,SUM

AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, and SUM are all common spreadsheet functions used in programs like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to perform calculations on data.

↑ Back to top