NYT Connections Hints for July 9, 2026 — Puzzle #1124

Sixteen words, four hidden categories. Hints reveal structure, then the grouping.

Hints and answers for NYT Connections #1124 on July 9, 2026: how many groups there are, a masked theme for each group, then the four categories one at a time, then all sixteen words and the full grouping.

Puzzle date: July 9, 2026 (2026-07-09) · #1124 · Source: the game's public daily data (https://www.nytimes.com/svc/connections/v2/2026-07-09.json). Hints are derived from that day's verified answer data — no invented clues, difficulty scores or word claims.

1. The shape of the puzzle

There are 4 categories of 4 words each (16 words total).

2. The four themes, masked

Each theme below keeps its word shapes and the first letter of every word:

N _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ D _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
M _ _ _ _ P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
K _ _ _ _ O _ R _ _ _
P _ _ _ _ _ _ M _ _ _ _ _

3. Reveal a theme, one at a time

Show theme 1

NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS

Show theme 2

MUSIC PUBLICATIONS

Show theme 3

KINDS OF RUGS

Show theme 4

PONTIAC MODELS

NYT Connections answer for July 9, 2026 — puzzle #1124

NON-ALCOHOLIC DESIGNATORS

VIRGIN, NA, ZERO-PROOF, SPIRIT-FREE

MUSIC PUBLICATIONS

SPIN, ROLLING STONE, BILLBOARD, PITCHFORK

KINDS OF RUGS

THROW, PRAYER, PERSIAN, SHAG

PONTIAC MODELS

FIREBIRD, G6, GRAND PRIX, TRANS AM

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