Step-by-step hints and answers for Connections #1197, from Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Plenty of solvers will spot a likely four within seconds on this Sunday grid, and the real work is deciding which tile in that first idea is a guest from somewhere else. A couple of the two-word tiles look more mysterious than they really are, so do not let them scare you off early. Most of the vocabulary is friendly, and once one set is safely in, the rest comes quickly, right through to a gentle final four.
Open one step at a time. Step three names the group, so stop earlier if you want more of a challenge. New to the game? Read how to play Connections first, or see what the four colors mean.
Most direct
Think about objects that are thin and circular, whether you eat them, play them or set a drink on them.
Each is a disc-shaped item, from something found on a beach to something wrapped around a taco filling.
Round flat things
Fairly direct
Head to one state in the American South known for its horses.
Each is strongly tied to one state, from a famous horse race in Louisville to a drink aged in oak barrels and a fast-food chain's original recipe.
Associated with Kentucky
Takes some thought
Think about films whose main characters only come out at night.
Each is the title of a film about bloodsucking creatures of the night, from a 1987 cult horror western to a 2025 hit set in the Mississippi Delta.
Vampire movies
Trickiest
Picture what people ride on at the beach, on a mountain slope or at a park.
Add the same five-letter word to the end of each tile to name something you stand on and ride, on water, on a slope, on pavement or, in the movies, floating above the ground.
___boards you ride on
COASTER is the tile to treat with care. Most people picture a roller coaster first, and a theme-park reading sends it looking for partners that do not want it. In this grid it lives a quieter life, closer to the coffee table than the amusement park, so give it its everyday household meaning before you commit.
More ways to dodge red herrings: our Connections tips.
Some meanings point toward a group, so they stay hidden until you open them.
This section shows all four groups. Only open it if you're finished or ready to give up.
BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA
Round, flat objects: BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR and TORTILLA. A sand dollar is a flat sea urchin whose white skeleton often washes up on beaches.
BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN
Things associated with Kentucky: BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY and FRIED CHICKEN. Kentucky is the Bluegrass State, the Kentucky Derby is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, and Kentucky Fried Chicken grew from Harland Sanders' roadside restaurant in Corbin.
BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT
Vampire movies: BLADE (1998), NEAR DARK (1987), SINNERS (2025) and TWILIGHT (2008).
HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF
Words that come before BOARD to name something you ride: HOVERboard, SKATEboard, SNOWboard and SURFboard.
Kentucky is the cleanest start: BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY and FRIED CHICKEN have no other home here. TWILIGHT, BLADE and SINNERS are well known as vampire films, and NEAR DARK joins them once you know the 1987 cult title. COASTER then sits with BLU-RAY, SAND DOLLAR and TORTILLA as round, flat things, while HOVER, SKATE, SNOW and SURF each take BOARD.
Want to get better at spotting groups? Start with our Connections tips.
Answers checked against the official answers by Alan. This puzzle appeared on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
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