Mashable has published the meanings behind today’s NYT Connections words for September 13, 2026, and they are doing a solid job of explaining why some of these clues are a lot stranger than they look.
The site’s hints page is designed to walk readers through the puzzle’s clues without giving away the full answers. That means you get the definitions of each word, which often include the kind of hidden connections the game is built around. Some words have entirely unrelated meanings, which is itself a clue. Connections frequently includes words-within-words and other visual tricks, and knowing what those words mean can break the code faster than guessing.
What Today’s Clues Actually Mean
The list runs through a mix of everyday words, historical figures, and cultural references. Here is a quick rundown of the meanings Mashable provides:
- Cleveland — 24th President
- Garfield — 20th President
- Grant — 18th President
- Madison — 4th President
- Kewpie — A small chubby doll with a topknot of hair
- Doublespeak — Deceptive language
- Heathcliff — A fictional character in Wuthering Heights
- Porridge — A soft food made of boiled grains in milk or water
- Paramount — Superior to others
There are also a handful of words that describe physical states:
- Flaccid — Lacking firmness
- Sagging — Drifts down
- Slack — Not tight
- Empty — Contains nothing
- Excess — Contains too much
- Droppy — To hang downward
“Sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself.”
That line captures the whole approach. The game wants you to look past the surface reading of each word, and knowing that a Cleveland clue might point to a president rather than a city is half the battle.
Why These Clues Work
Connections is built on patterns and associations. A word like “Droppy” points to something hanging downward, while “Slack” describes something loose and not tight. The president clues work the same way — the numbers tell you which president you are looking for, and the puzzle expects you to connect the name to the office.
The Kewpie clue is a cultural reference rather than a definition, which is a nice change of pace. Heathcliff is a character from Wuthering Heights, so the puzzle is asking you to think about literature rather than just dictionary entries. Porridge is a simple food description, and Paramount is a straightforward comparison to something being the best or highest.
What the List Does Not Spoil
The hints page is careful not to give away the full answers. It explains the meanings but stops short of spelling out the completed words. For players who want to solve the puzzle themselves, this is a useful balance — you get enough information to see the pattern without having the final word handed to you.
The page also notes that Mashable has been providing daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years. So if you are stuck on one of those other games, the site has you covered there too.
Related Games and Puzzles
Mashable’s games hub covers a range of other brain teasers beyond Connections. There is Mahjong, Sudoku, and a free crossword, along with the usual lineup of word games. The site also offers daily hints for Strands, so players who move between puzzles can keep a single source for all of them.
For readers who want more tech and digital culture news, Mashable offers a Top Stories newsletter and push alerts. The site also has a list of the content creators shaping the internet today, called The Mashable 101.
The Verdict on Today’s Clues
Mashable’s hints are a solid resource for anyone who wants to understand the puzzle without cheating. The meanings are explained clearly, and the site avoids spoiling the answers while still giving you enough information to work with.
The president clues are a good example of how the game rewards attention to detail. Knowing that Cleveland is the 24th president is a small piece of information, but it narrows down the search space dramatically once you see the word on the board.
The physical-state words are a reminder that Connections is not just about dictionary definitions. Sagging, slack, droppy, flaccid — these are words that describe shapes and positions, and the puzzle expects you to see the connection between the word and the letters.
Final Thoughts
Today’s Connections puzzle is live, and the hints are ready if you need them. Whether you choose to read the meanings or tackle the puzzle blind, the game is the same — find the connections, fill in the words, and move on to the next one.
The Mashable hints are a useful tool for anyone who wants to understand the clues without giving away the answers. They explain the meanings clearly, and they avoid spoiling the full solution. If you are stuck, the hints are there to help you see the pattern.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.