Yellow group
Most direct
First nudge
Think about what a broker buys and sells.
Stronger nudge
Each is a kind of financial instrument traded on a market.
Group name
Securities
Connections hint #1207: September 30, 2026
Step-by-step hints and answers for Connections #1207, from Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Wednesday's puzzle plants a convincing red herring that pulls several words toward a group that does not exist. Two groups are fairly direct, one needs some pop-culture memory, and the purple set is the last to fall, so save it for the end once the other twelve words are placed.
- TAMBOURINE
- SEPTUM
- DECENT
- BOND
- MARTINI
- OPTION
- NOVELTY
- CASINO
- SPRAY PAINT
- OCTOPUSSY
- DONNIE BRASCO
- FUTURE
- BUGSY
- ETCH A SKETCH
- STOCK
- SCARFACE
Hints for Connections #1207
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.
Green group
Fairly direct
First nudge
Picture someone holding an object and moving it back and forth quickly.
Stronger nudge
Each one only works properly after a good shake.
Group name
Things that are shaken (not stirred)
Blue group
Takes some thought
First nudge
Pull up a list of classic crime films.
Stronger nudge
Each title is a movie about organized crime.
Group name
Gangster movies
Purple group
Trickiest
First nudge
Check the calendar, but only the first three letters of each word.
Stronger nudge
Each word begins with the short form of an autumn or winter month.
Group name
Starting with month abbreviations
Show the trap
A spy's last name, his favorite drink and one of his film titles are all on the board, so it is tempting to build a secret-agent group. There isn't one: each of those words belongs to a different color.
More ways to dodge red herrings: our Connections tips.
Word meanings
Some meanings point toward a group, so they stay hidden until you open them.
Show meanings for 6 tricky words
- OCTOPUSSY
- The title of a 1983 James Bond film, which makes it a convincing red herring today.
- SEPTUM
- The wall of tissue that divides the two nostrils.
- BUGSY
- A 1991 biographical crime film about a famous Las Vegas gangster.
- FUTURE
- In finance, a contract to buy or sell something at a set price on a later date.
- DONNIE BRASCO
- A 1997 film about an undercover FBI agent inside the Mafia.
- TAMBOURINE
- A small hand drum ringed with metal jingles that sound when it is shaken or struck.
Answers for Connections #1207
This section shows all four groups. Only open it if you're finished or ready to give up.
Show all four groups
-
Securities
BOND, FUTURE, OPTION, STOCK
All four are types of securities or contracts that investors trade.
-
Things that are shaken (not stirred)
ETCH A SKETCH, MARTINI, SPRAY PAINT, TAMBOURINE
A drawing toy, a famous spy's cocktail order, a can of paint and a percussion instrument all need shaking.
-
Gangster movies
BUGSY, CASINO, DONNIE BRASCO, SCARFACE
Bugsy, Casino, Donnie Brasco and Scarface are all well-known mob films.
-
Starting with month abbreviations
DECENT, NOVELTY, OCTOPUSSY, SEPTUM
DECent, NOVelty, OCTopussy and SEPtum begin with DEC, NOV, OCT and SEP.
Want to get better at spotting groups? Start with what the four colors mean.
Answers checked against the official answers by Alan. This puzzle appeared on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
More Connections puzzles
Every puzzle keeps its own page with the same nudges, meanings and answers, so you can go back to any day.
Looking for a different day? Use the links below, or head to today's Connections hint. Every puzzle from September 2026 is listed on the September 2026 archive page.