Note : Make sure to complete today’s NYT Connections before reading further! We’ll be getting into spoilers for today’s game pretty quickly. If you need some help to complete the grid, you can find my NYT Connections hints and answers column for today via my author page .

Hey there, Connectors! Welcome to my deeper dive into today’s Connections answers. The idea behind this is to help clear things up for anyone who isn’t sure how today’s groups fit together.

If I’ve missed any red herrings or misunderstood something, let me know via email or on Discord . I don’t typically look at X or check the comments here.

I’m going to assume that you’ve already beaten today’s game. We’re going straight into spoiler territory here. So, consider this your one and only warning .

Here are today’s NYT Connections answers explained (and any red herrings I spot) for Wednesday, September 2:

Today’s NYT Connections Answers Explained

Connections – Yellow Group

🟨 flabbergast (DAZZLE, FLOOR, STUN, WOW)

In other words, leave someone very impressed or surprised.

Connections – Green Group

🟩 things in a violin case (BOW, MUTE, ROSIN, SHOULDER REST)

You’d typically use a BOW to play a violin, though one may pluck the strings on occasion.

A MUTE dampens the sound of a violin by reducing vibrations on the bridge. It can also change the sound quality, and composers sometimes write in sheet music that a musician should use it at certain points in a piece:

ROSIN is a solid form of resin that’s applied to a bow hair. It creates tension so that the bow hair grips the strings and generates the vibrations:

The SHOULDER REST is self-explanatory.

🟦 _____ dogs (that are dogs) (HUNTING, RESCUE, SAUSAGE, SHEEP)

HUNTING dogs assist humans while hunting, strangely enough. They might track and eliminate game themselves, or retrieve game for the hunter.

A RESCUE dog can be one that helps rescue workers. More commonly, the term refers to a lost, abandoned or neglected pup that’s been been placed in a new home by a charity or rescue center.

A SAUSAGE dog is another name for a dachshund, most commonly used in the U.K. and Australia, due to its long body. In the U.S., it’s often referred to as a wiener dog.

A SHEEP dog or shepherd helps people control sheep and move them in an certain direction.

Connections – Purple Group

🟪 _____ dogs (that aren't dogs) (CORN, PRAIRIE, SALTY, TOP)

A CORN dog is a hot dog that’s been coated in batter (typically a cornmeal one, hence its name) and deep fried.

A PRAIRIE dog is a type of ground squirrel:

A SALTY dog is a type of cocktail. It’s made with grapefruit juice mixed with gin or vodka. It’s served in a glass that has a salted rim. The term is also used to describe an experienced sailor or promiscuous man.

“TOP dog” is an idiom that refers to a boss or the most dominant individual or organization among others.

Connections – Red Herrings

I didn’t see a red herring today. So many dogs, though!

If you’d like to chat about today’s game of Connections and just about anything else with me and a very lovely group of people, you can do just that in our Discord community . We’d love for you to hang out with us.

I’ll be back with another set of NYT Connections hints and answers tomorrow, as well as another edition of this one, all going well. You’ll be able to find both of those on my Forbes author page when the time comes (following me there helps me out too!). As for the weekend editions of my NYT Connections hints and answers column, I’m currently doing that via my newsletter, Pastimes .