A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #99
hints & answers for September 18, 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 18, 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, Q and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BRIGHT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

INTELLIGENT

Reveal all four words
  • BRIGHT
  • CLEVER
  • QUICK
  • SHARP

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, F, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ALASKA belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

AIRLINES

Reveal all four words
  • ALASKA
  • FRONTIER
  • SOUTHWEST
  • SPIRIT

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, D, O and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

COWBOY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WESTERN TROPES

Reveal all four words
  • COWBOY
  • DRIFTER
  • OUTLAW
  • SHERIFF

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with L, M, R and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

LASSO belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TV SHOW TITLE SURNAMES

Reveal all four words
  • LASSO
  • MARS
  • ROGERS
  • SMART
Show categories only
  • Yellow: INTELLIGENT
  • Green: AIRLINES
  • Blue: WESTERN TROPES
  • Purple: TV SHOW TITLE SURNAMES

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

INTELLIGENT

BRIGHT · CLEVER · QUICK · SHARP

Green

AIRLINES

ALASKA · FRONTIER · SOUTHWEST · SPIRIT

Blue

WESTERN TROPES

COWBOY · DRIFTER · OUTLAW · SHERIFF

Purple

TV SHOW TITLE SURNAMES

LASSO · MARS · ROGERS · SMART

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.