Stripes are contrasting lines or bands. On this board, STRIPES belongs to the group FEATURES OF A MIME COSTUME.
Quick answer
Stripes are lines or bands that differ from the surrounding surface. Cambridge defines a stripe as a line or band of a different color from what surrounds it, while Dictionary.com gives the broader wording of a long, narrow band differing in color, appearance, weave, material or nature. In this puzzle, STRIPES is a FEATURE OF A MIME COSTUME.
The exact board relationship is shown in the September 8, 2026 Connections puzzle, where STRIPES joins three other costume features.
Meaning and context
STRIPES is the plural form of stripe. In the puzzle sense, it refers to multiple contrasting lines or bands as a visible pattern. The supplied definitions support contrast as the central feature: a stripe differs from the surface or material around it in color or another visible quality.
The word can function as a plural noun in a sentence such as “The shirt has stripes.” It can also appear after a descriptive word, as in “The costume has narrow stripes.” These are illustrative examples of the line-or-band definition rather than claims about a particular object.
The research results document additional dictionary senses without requiring them for this puzzle. Cambridge says stripe can refer to a type or rank of something, and Collins lists both noun and verb usage. Those senses remain separate from the exact referent here: the visible lines or bands that fit the official mime-costume category.
Natural examples
These examples demonstrate the relevant pattern sense:
- “Blue stripes crossed the pale fabric.”
- “The designer added two narrow stripes to the sleeve.”
- “The costume combined gloves, suspenders and stripes.”
- “STRIPES fit with BERET once the solver considered features of a costume.”
In each example, stripes are visible bands or lines. The final sentence shows how the plural noun can operate as a board entry. A solver does not need to identify a specific color because the official category concerns STRIPES as a costume feature.
A common mistake
A common language mistake is treating “stripe” as if it names any large area of color. The supplied definitions are narrower: a stripe is a line or relatively long, narrow band that differs from its surroundings. The plural STRIPES therefore suggests multiple such lines or bands.
In the puzzle, color associations can also pull attention toward PURPLE. That pair does not form the basis of an official group. STRIPES belongs with BERET, GLOVES and SUSPENDERS under FEATURES OF A MIME COSTUME, while PURPLE belongs with ARTICHOKE, SACRED and TAKE TO under ___ HEART.
Another possible error is to call the green group “clothes.” The official wording is broader and more accurate: FEATURES OF A MIME COSTUME. That phrasing accommodates STRIPES as a pattern feature without asserting that stripes are a separate garment.
STRIPES in Connections
On the September 8, 2026 solved Connections board, STRIPES appears in the green group with BERET, GLOVES and SUSPENDERS. The exact source category is FEATURES OF A MIME COSTUME.
This entry demonstrates why category wording matters. BERET, GLOVES and SUSPENDERS can all prompt thoughts of wearable items. STRIPES instead names a pattern feature. “Features of” is the relationship that stays true across all four words without turning the category into a narrower claim.
How the group logic works
Start by recognizing STRIPES as contrasting lines or bands. Then test it beside BERET, GLOVES and SUSPENDERS. All four match the verified mime-costume category. Keep SKORT out of that set even though the supplied dictionary result defines a skort as clothing; it belongs to the separate letter-wordplay group. The completed arrangement appears in the September 8, 2026 Connections group explanation.
The reusable technique is to distinguish an item from a feature. If an official category says “features of,” its members do not need to be identical kinds of objects. They need only preserve that stated relationship.