Tuesday, September 1, 2026 · #1257
Connections #1257 runs from an easy "i promise!" group to a purple tier built on starting with words of intention.
Today's board, solved
CROSS MY HEART
FOR REAL
ON GOD
PINKY SWEAR
ARROW
GOLF CLUB
PICK-UP STICK
SPAGHETTO
HERCULE POIROT
MIKE HAMMER
SAM SPADE
SHERLOCK HOLMES
AIMEE MANN
HOPE DIAMOND
PLANETARIUM
WISHY-WASHY
All four groups
Yellow
"I PROMISE!"
CROSS MY HEART, FOR REAL, ON GOD, PINKY SWEAR
Green
LONG, SKINNY THINGS OFTEN SEEN TOGETHER
ARROW, GOLF CLUB, PICK-UP STICK, SPAGHETTO
Blue
PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS OF FICTION
HERCULE POIROT, MIKE HAMMER, SAM SPADE, SHERLOCK HOLMES
Purple
STARTING WITH WORDS OF INTENTION
AIMEE MANN, HOPE DIAMOND, PLANETARIUM, WISHY-WASHY
How today's puzzle plays
The easiest route is to clear "I PROMISE!" first, then look for what's left over rather than hunting the purple group head-on.
Purple today — STARTING WITH WORDS OF INTENTION — is about how the words are built, not what they mean.
Purple groups reward reading the words as letters and sounds, not as things.
Prefer to work it out? Try today's Connections hints, staged so you only see what you ask for.