Connections archive · Puzzle #1117
NYT Connections Hints & Answers — July 2, 2026 (#1117)
Group hints and answers for the NYT Connections puzzle on . Get a spoiler-free nudge for each group, or reveal the full solution — your call.
Difficulty: Hard
Spoiler control
Choose how much to reveal
Reveal one step at a time — nudges first, full answers only if you ask.
1. Group nudges spoiler-free
- Yellow: Copycats in nature, performance, and sci-fi — each mimics something else for survival, comedy, or infiltration.
- Green: Archaic labels for everyday objects — what a Victorian might call a mirror, glasses, a film, or a bathroom.
- Blue: Four answers that open with a familiar short name — Billy, Dan, Rich, or Tom at the front.
- Purple: Compound phrases whose first word names where a sport is played — tennis, baseball, football, or track.
2. One word from each group a foothold
- Yellow: COPYCAT
- Green: LOOKING GLASS
- Blue: BILLY GOAT
- Purple: COURT JESTER
3. The four category names no words yet
- Yellow: THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS
- Green: OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE
- Blue: STARTING WITH NICKNAMES
- Purple: STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group
THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS
- COPYCAT
- MIME
- MOCKINGBIRD
- T-1000
Green group
OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE
- LOOKING GLASS
- SPECTACLES
- TALKIE
- WATER CLOSET
Blue group
STARTING WITH NICKNAMES
- BILLY GOAT
- DAN DAN NOODLES
- RICH TEXT
- TOM-TOM
Purple group
STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES
- COURT JESTER
- DIAMOND RING
- FIELD MOUSE
- TRACK RECORD
5. Reveal everything full spoilers
Yellow — THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS
- COPYCAT
- MIME
- MOCKINGBIRD
- T-1000
Green — OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE
- LOOKING GLASS
- SPECTACLES
- TALKIE
- WATER CLOSET
Blue — STARTING WITH NICKNAMES
- BILLY GOAT
- DAN DAN NOODLES
- RICH TEXT
- TOM-TOM
Purple — STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES
- COURT JESTER
- DIAMOND RING
- FIELD MOUSE
- TRACK RECORD
NYT Connections #1117 — quick answers
What are today's Connections categories?
THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS; OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE; STARTING WITH NICKNAMES; STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES.
What are all the answers?
- THEY IMPERSONATE OTHER THINGS: COPYCAT, MIME, MOCKINGBIRD, T-1000
- OLD-TIMEY NAMES FOR THINGS WE STILL USE: LOOKING GLASS, SPECTACLES, TALKIE, WATER CLOSET
- STARTING WITH NICKNAMES: BILLY GOAT, DAN DAN NOODLES, RICH TEXT, TOM-TOM
- STARTING WITH SPORTS VENUES: COURT JESTER, DIAMOND RING, FIELD MOUSE, TRACK RECORD
Also for: Connections hints 7/2/26, 7-2-26, 7 2 26, 7/2/2026, and puzzle #1117.
Also stuck on Strands, Wordle, Spelling Bee or Mini Crossword ?
Today's puzzle, in a nutshell
Yellow mimics and green archaic nouns are the easy locks — blue nickname prefixes and purple sports-venue openers split once you stop pairing BILLY GOAT with COURT JESTER as a farm-animal group.