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NYT Connections Hints for August 9, 2026 (#1240)

Game

SHIFT GEARS
JURY DUTY
SPACE OPERA
LABYRINTH
CAPS FOR SALE
ESCAPE ROOM
NEO-NOIR
COURSE-CORRECT
BAD DREAM
BUDDY COP
CORDUROY
CHANGE TACK
MADELINE
RECALIBRATE
SPAGHETTI WESTERN
GOODNIGHT MOON

Hints by Category

TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH

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Changing one's strategy or direction

CHANGE TACK
To alter one's approach or course of action.
COURSE-CORRECT
To adjust one's path or behavior to return to the intended direction.
RECALIBRATE
To revise or readjust something in response to new information or circumstances.
SHIFT GEARS
To change the pace, intensity, or method of one's actions.

CLASSIC CHILDREN'S BOOKS

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Well-known, enduring picture books for young readers

CAPS FOR SALE
A story about a hat peddler whose caps are taken by monkeys.
CORDUROY
A tale about a teddy bear who finds a friend who takes him home.
GOODNIGHT MOON
A bedtime classic that says goodnight to everything in a young rabbit's room.
MADELINE
A story about a fearless girl in a Paris boarding school.

MOVIE SUBGENRES

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Specific categories within film genres

BUDDY COP
A subgenre featuring two contrasting police partners on a case.
NEO-NOIR
A modern crime film style inspired by classic film noir.
SPACE OPERA
A science fiction subgenre with epic adventures in space.
SPAGHETTI WESTERN
A Western film subgenre made in Europe, often with stylish violence.

THINGS PEOPLE TRY TO GET OUT OF

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Situations or obligations people seek to avoid or escape

BAD DREAM
An unpleasant nightmare that wakes people from sleep.
ESCAPE ROOM
A game where players are locked in and must solve puzzles to exit.
JURY DUTY
A civic obligation many attempt to be excused from.
LABYRINTH
A complex maze from which people try to find a way out.