The NYT Connections puzzle for September 18, 2026 is live, and the categories are hiding behind color codes. The game asks players to find the common thread between 16 words, grouped into four categories, each coded yellow, green, blue, and purple. One set of hints is enough to spoil the fun — or at least make the solving easier.
What Is Connections?
Connections is the New York Times’ latest daily word game, and it has become a social media hit. Associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu helped create the game and bring it to the Times’ Games section. Players look at 16 words and group four of them into sets that share something in common.
The rules are simple. Get all four words in a set correct, and those words disappear. Guess wrong, and it counts as a mistake — up to four mistakes before the game ends. Players can rearrange and shuffle the board to spot connections better, and each group is color-coded: yellow is the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple.
Like Wordle, you can share your results on social media. The game resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier.
The Hints For Today’s Puzzle
The hints for today’s categories are designed to nudge you without giving away the answer. Here is what they say:
- Yellow: Parts
- Green: Refreshments
- Blue: Travel-related
- Purple: Same second word
That last hint is the key. The solution reveals that the final category is actually “case.”
Today’s Categories In Detail
Today’s Connections #1195 has four categories. Here is how they break down:
- Yellow: Segment of a process — PHASE, ROUND, STAGE, STEP
- Green: Assortments of food/drink — FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER
- Blue: Parts of a flight — BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, TAKEOFF
- Purple: Same second word — BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR, UPPER
The travel theme runs through the puzzle. The yellow category describes parts of a process, the green category describes assortments of food and drink, and the blue category describes parts of a flight. The purple category, “Same second word,” ties everything together.
How To Play Today’s Puzzle
If you want to solve today’s Connections yourself, start with the hints. Look at the 16 words and see which ones fit the category descriptions. The yellow category is the easiest, so work through that first. The green and blue categories are travel-themed, so think about flight and refreshments.
Once you have grouped the first three sets, the purple category becomes the puzzle. The hint says the words share the same second word, and the solution confirms the category is “case.”
The Answer To Today’s Puzzle
The full solution to today’s Connections #1195 is:
- Yellow: PHASE, ROUND, STAGE, STEP
- Green: FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER
- Blue: BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, TAKEOFF
- Purple: BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR, UPPER
Why The Case Category Works
The purple category is named “case.” The hint says “Same second word,” and the category itself is “case.” The solution confirms the words share the same second word.
It is a simple reveal, but it fits the spirit of a game that rewards thinking about language.
More Puzzles From Mashable
If you want more, Mashable has a games hub with Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. The site also offers hints for NYT Strands, another daily puzzle.
The solution to yesterday’s Connections is also available, for anyone who missed it.
What We Make Of It
The puzzle is a solid mix of themes. The travel category ties the yellow, green, and blue groups together, and the purple category’s twist on the second word makes the final reveal satisfying.
The hints are designed to nudge you without giving away the answer, which means they offer guidance without spoiling the solution.
The case category is the standout. It is a simple twist, but it lands well.
Good luck.
Key Facts Box
- Puzzle: Connections #1195
- Date: September 18, 2026
- Words per puzzle: 16
- Colors: Yellow (easiest), green, blue, purple (hardest)
- Mistakes allowed: Up to four
- Solution revealed: Above
Source material: “NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 18, 2026,” Mashable.
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