A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1194
hints & answers for September 17, 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 17, 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, G and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BOUNCE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ELASTICITY

Reveal all four words
  • BOUNCE
  • FLEXIBILITY
  • GIVE
  • SPRING

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

MINE SHAFT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND

Reveal all four words
  • MINE SHAFT
  • SEWER LINE
  • SUBWAY STATION
  • WELL

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

FOUNTAIN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"

Reveal all four words
  • FOUNTAIN
  • PRESTIGE
  • SHEEP DETECTIVES
  • WOLVERINE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try putting the same beginning before each entry.

Show one word

HANDLES belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

LOVE ___

Reveal all four words
  • HANDLES
  • LANGUAGE
  • TAP
  • TRIANGLE

Each entry comes after "LOVE" to form a word, expression or name: HANDLES → LOVE HANDLES; LANGUAGE → LOVE LANGUAGE; TAP → LOVE TAP; TRIANGLE → LOVE TRIANGLE.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: ELASTICITY
  • Green: THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND
  • Blue: HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"
  • Purple: LOVE ___

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

ELASTICITY

BOUNCE · FLEXIBILITY · GIVE · SPRING

Green

THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND

MINE SHAFT · SEWER LINE · SUBWAY STATION · WELL

Blue

HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"

FOUNTAIN · PRESTIGE · SHEEP DETECTIVES · WOLVERINE

Purple

LOVE ___

HANDLES · LANGUAGE · TAP · TRIANGLE

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.