A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1188
hints & answers for September 11, 2026

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, 2026. 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, F, P and P. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BAND belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT

Reveal all four words
  • BAND
  • FLORIST
  • PHOTOGRAPHER
  • PLANNER

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ABSORB belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

INTERNALIZE

Reveal all four words
  • ABSORB
  • DIGEST
  • PROCESS
  • TAKE IN

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with E, J, M and U. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

EXERCISE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE

Reveal all four words
  • EXERCISE
  • JOURNAL
  • MEDITATE
  • UNPLUG

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

AGENDA belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY

Reveal all four words
  • AGENDA
  • ENVELOPE
  • LIMITS
  • LUCK
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT
  • Green: INTERNALIZE
  • Blue: WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE
  • Purple: THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT

BAND · FLORIST · PHOTOGRAPHER · PLANNER

Green

INTERNALIZE

ABSORB · DIGEST · PROCESS · TAKE IN

Blue

WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE

EXERCISE · JOURNAL · MEDITATE · UNPLUG

Purple

THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY

AGENDA · ENVELOPE · LIMITS · LUCK

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.