NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle that asks players to connect words across a grid of letters. Today’s edition, dated Sept. 28, 2026, comes with a set of hints that Mashable has published, and the hints are mostly dictionary definitions. That is the point. The definitions themselves are the clues, and knowing a word’s unrelated meaning can point you toward the right connections.
The puzzle’s visual design often includes words within words and other visual tricks, and the definitions below are meant to prime you for those moments. They are not answers, but they are the closest thing to hints that Connections offers.
The Words and Their Definitions
Here is the full list of words and their meanings, as Mashable has posted them:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Challenger | A person or thing that competes against a current titleholder to win a prize |
| Charger | A device used to put electrical energy back into a rechargeable battery |
| Durango | A state in northern Mexico |
| Viper | A venomous snake with long fangs |
| Horseradish | A perennial root vegetable from the mustard family |
| Lemon | A round, yellow and sour citrus fruit |
| Mignonette | A tangy condiment made with vinegar, shallots and black pepper. It’s typically served with oysters |
| Tabasco | An American brand of hot sauce made from tabasco chili peppers, salt and vinegar |
| Bamboo | A tall, fast-growing tropical plant with hard, hollow stems |
| Celery | A crunchy green vegetable with long, fibrous stems |
| Corn | A tall cereal plant that produces edible yellow kernels |
| Wheat | A cereal grain from grass |
| Arkansans | A Midwestern US state, known as “The Natural State” |
| Chihuahua | A tiny dog breed |
| Possesses | To have or to own something |
| Springing | Jumping or moving quickly |
That is the whole package. There is no hidden pattern beyond the definitions themselves, and the source makes that explicit: “sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself.”
What Makes a Good Clue
Connections is built on visual connections. A word might appear twice in the grid, split apart, or joined to another word. The definitions above are meant to help you spot those patterns without giving away the actual solutions.
For example, the word “possesses” is a verb meaning to have or own something. Knowing that could help you identify a connection involving ownership or possession. “Springing” means jumping or moving quickly, which might suggest a word related to movement or action.
The other words are more straightforward. “Charger” is a device that puts energy back into a battery. “Durango” is a Mexican state. “Viper” is a venomous snake. “Horseradish” is a mustard-family vegetable. “Lemon” is a yellow citrus fruit. “Mignonette” is a tangy condiment made with vinegar, shallots and black pepper, typically served with oysters. “Tabasco” is an American hot sauce made from tabasco chili peppers, salt and vinegar. “Bamboo” is a tall, fast-growing tropical plant with hard, hollow stems. “Celery” is a crunchy green vegetable with long, fibrous stems. “Corn” is a tall cereal plant that produces edible yellow kernels. “Wheat” is a cereal grain from grass. “Arkansans” is a Midwestern US state, known as “The Natural State.” “Chihuahua” is a tiny dog breed.
The definitions are spoiler-free hints, per the source, though they include the meanings themselves rather than the answers. They prime you for the kinds of connections the puzzle is likely to contain. If you see “charger” in the grid, you know the answer involves electricity or batteries. If you see “springing,” you know the answer involves motion.
How to Use These Hints
The best approach is to read through the definitions before you look at the grid. That way, you are thinking about the words before you see them, and you are more likely to notice when a definition matches a pattern you see on screen.
The definitions also help you avoid the trap of assuming a word means one thing when it means another. The source directs readers to Mashable’s broader puzzle coverage. The site has provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so if you need more than definitions, that is where to look. For today’s puzzle, the hints and answers are available separately, and the site also offers hints for NYT Strands.
The Comparison Table
The definitions vary widely in subject. Some are food items, some are animals, some are devices, and some are places. That variety is part of what makes Connections fun. A single grid can contain a charger, a viper, and a horseradish, and the definitions help you keep them straight.
What Comes Next
Today’s puzzle is dated Sept. 28, 2026. If you missed it, the solution is available on Mashable. The site also offers daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands, so you can stay up to date with all three games.
The definitions above are the full set for today’s puzzle. There is no deeper layer of hints beyond these meanings. The source has done its job by explaining what each word means, and it has done so without spoiling the answers.
The source also directs readers to Mashable’s games hub, which offers Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. That is a nice touch for players who want more puzzles after Connections.
Take these definitions, read them carefully, and go solve the puzzle. The answers are waiting.
Source material: “NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 28, 2026,” Mashable.
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