NYT Connections Hints for September 3, 2026 — Puzzle #1180

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

Hints and answers for NYT Connections #1180 on September 3, 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: September 3, 2026 (2026-09-03) · #1180 · Source: the game's public daily data (https://www.nytimes.com/svc/connections/v2/2026-09-03.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:

T _ _ S _ _ _ _ _ O _ A L _ _ _ _ T _ _ _
S _ _ _ _ _ O _ R _ _
T _ _ C _ _ B _ _ _ _ _
S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. Reveal a theme, one at a time

Show theme 1

TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB'S TAIL

Show theme 2

SHADES OF RED

Show theme 3

TOY CAR BRANDS

Show theme 4

SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONS

NYT Connections answer for September 3, 2026 — puzzle #1180

TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB'S TAIL

BLINK, FLASH, HEARTBEAT, TRICE

SHADES OF RED

MAROON, CARMINE, CINNABAR, VERMILLION

TOY CAR BRANDS

MATCHBOX, TONKA, HOT WHEELS, MICRO MACHINES

SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONS

MAX, AVERAGE, SUM, COUNT

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