A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #92
hints & answers for September 11, 2023

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows September 11, 2023. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, C, P and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BAT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS

Reveal all four words
  • BAT
  • COBWEB
  • PUMPKIN
  • TOMBSTONE

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-character clue

Look for four entries beginning with 2, B, F and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

24 belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TV SHOWS

Reveal all four words
  • 24
  • BONES
  • FIREFLY
  • WEEDS

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-character clue

Look for four entries beginning with 7, B, B and C. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

7 belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SLOT MACHINE SYMBOLS

Reveal all four words
  • 7
  • BAR
  • BELL
  • CHERRY

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-character clue

Look for four entries beginning with 2, 2, 2 and 4. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

20,000 belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

NUMBERS IN BOOK TITLES

Reveal all four words
  • 20,000
  • 2001
  • 22
  • 451
Show categories only
  • Yellow: HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS
  • Green: TV SHOWS
  • Blue: SLOT MACHINE SYMBOLS
  • Purple: NUMBERS IN BOOK TITLES

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS

BAT · COBWEB · PUMPKIN · TOMBSTONE

Green

TV SHOWS

24 · BONES · FIREFLY · WEEDS

Blue

SLOT MACHINE SYMBOLS

7 · BAR · BELL · CHERRY

Purple

NUMBERS IN BOOK TITLES

20,000 · 2001 · 22 · 451

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.