NYT Connections Hint & AnswersPuzzle #1188 · September 11, 2026
Stuck on today's NYT Connections puzzle? Get a single-word clue, a category hint, or the full answer for Puzzle #1188 — you choose exactly how much help you need.
Written by Hint Team · Updated September 11, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Puzzle #1188 (September 11, 2026) is rated Medium difficulty.
- 16 words sort into 4 hidden categories — Yellow (easiest) to Purple (hardest).
- Every word and every category has its own spoiler-free hint below.
- Full answers are revealed only when you tap to see them — nothing spoils automatically.
Today's Tip
Looking for today's Connections hints or a Connections Hint 11 Sep? Today's NYT Connections puzzle brings together people hired for an event, words describing how you take information into your mind, ways to practice self-care, and things that can be pushed metaphorically.
Hint For Each Word
Tap any tile to see what it means in today's puzzle — no spoilers.
Hints For All Four Categories
Ordered from easiest to hardest — reveal only as much as you need.
Traps & Misdirects
Words placed on purpose to mislead you — spot these before you burn a guess.
PLANNER, AGENDA, JOURNAL, ENVELOPE
These words can all make you think about office supplies, stationery, or things found on a desk. But PLANNER belongs to PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT because it refers to an event planner. AGENDA and ENVELOPE belong to the Purple group, while JOURNAL belongs to self-care.
PLANNER, AGENDA, JOURNAL, ENVELOPE
This is one of the strongest false connections on today's board. A planner, agenda, journal, and envelope can all be associated with paper or office-related tasks. The puzzle separates them by meaning: PLANNER is a person, JOURNAL is a self-care activity, while AGENDA and ENVELOPE are things metaphorically pushed.
DIGEST, ABSORB, PROCESS, TAKE IN
DIGEST can immediately make you think about food or digestion. But the intended meaning is figurative. You can digest information, meaning you mentally take it in and understand it. That puts DIGEST with ABSORB, PROCESS, and TAKE IN.
PROCESS, PLANNER, AGENDA
PROCESS can make you think about a procedure, workflow, or series of steps. In today's puzzle it is being used as a verb meaning to mentally work through information. It belongs with ABSORB, DIGEST, and TAKE IN.
BAND, JOURNAL, PLANNER
BAND can mean a musical group, a ring, or a strip of material. The relevant meaning here is the musical group that can be hired for an event. This makes BAND part of the Yellow category.
ENVELOPE, AGENDA, PLANNER, JOURNAL
ENVELOPE naturally suggests a paper item used for letters or invitations. That can pull it toward AGENDA, PLANNER, and JOURNAL. The actual connection is push the envelope, putting ENVELOPE in the Purple group.
EXERCISE, PROCESS, TAKE IN, ABSORB
Exercise can mean a physical workout or a task used for practice. In today's puzzle it belongs to WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE, while PROCESS, TAKE IN, and ABSORB belong to INTERNALIZE.
JOURNAL, AGENDA
Both words can be associated with writing and keeping track of things. But they split into completely different categories. JOURNAL is a self-care activity, while AGENDA is something you can push metaphorically.
UNPLUG, PROCESS, TAKE IN, ABSORB
UNPLUG can literally mean disconnecting a device or cord. That literal technology-related meaning can make it seem unrelated to the other wellness words. In this puzzle, UNPLUG means stepping away from technology as a form of self-care.
LIMITS, ENVELOPE, LUCK, AGENDA
These four do not look like a natural category when viewed on their own. The connection only becomes clear when you put PUSH before each one: push your limits, push the envelope, push your luck, and push an agenda.
BAND, FLORIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, PLANNER
These four can strongly suggest a wedding, but the category is broader than weddings. They are all people or services you might hire for an event, including parties and other celebrations.
Today's Full Answers
All four groups, revealed only when you're ready.
Answers are hidden by default so you can solve at your own pace. Tap below when you're ready to see everything.
Stuck on today's NYT Connections puzzle? Our Connections hints help you crack all 16 words into their four correct groups — without spoiling the fun. Start with gentle, spoiler-free clues, and only unlock more as you need them. We'll walk you step by step, from subtle hints to full category reveals and today's complete answers.
How to Use Our NYT Connections Hints
Every player gets stuck at a different point in the puzzle — knowing exactly where you're stuck is the fastest way to find the right hint. Match your situation below, use that hint, and get back to solving.
You Don't Recognize a Word's Meaning
Puzzle editor Wyna Liu often picks words with a specific or unusual meaning, especially in the green, blue, and purple groups. If you don't know what a word means in context, you can't confidently place it.
Use the Word Hint. It explains what that word means for today's puzzle. Just tap any word on the board to open its hint card.
None of the 16 Words Are Clicking Into Groups
Connections categories are built around a theme, not just word meaning — so the link between words isn't always obvious at first glance.
Use the Category Hint. It points you toward the theme of a group without naming the category or listing its words. Start with the Yellow Category Hint — yellow is always the easiest.
You Think You Have a Group, But You're Not Sure
A wrong guess costs you one of your four allowed mistakes, so it pays to confirm before you commit.
Use the Category Name. It reveals the exact name of a group without showing which words belong to it. If your guess matches, go for it; if not, you've dodged a mistake. Tap the color you're testing to see it.
A Word Seems to Fit More Than One Group
Wyna Liu deliberately plants misleading words that look like they belong in more than one category — these trip up more players than anything else in the puzzle.
Use the Traps and Misdirects Hint. It flags the tricky words in today's puzzle and explains why they don't belong where you'd expect.
You Know the Category, Just Not All the Words
You've spotted the theme but can't pin down every word that fits it.
Use the Word Reveal. It uncovers one word at a time, so you only see as much as you need — open your identified category and reveal words one by one until the group is complete.
What Is Connections by The New York Times?
Connections is The New York Times' daily word-grouping puzzle: sort 16 words into four hidden categories of four, without racking up four mistakes. Puzzle editor Wyna Liu created the game, and it launched in beta on June 12, 2023, quickly becoming the Times' second most-played game after Wordle.
Each puzzle rewards lateral thinking — words that look unrelated on the surface often share a clever, sometimes tricky, connection. Solve a group correctly, and Connections reveals its color, showing you exactly how difficult that link was.
Curious why we built a dedicated hint site instead of just answers? Read more about ConnectionsHint.
Created by Wyna Liu
NYT Games puzzle editor
Launched June 12, 2023
as a public beta
#2 most-played NYT game
right behind Wordle
The NYT Connections Group Colors
Every group is color-coded by difficulty, and the order never changes: yellow is always the easiest, purple is always the hardest, with green and blue in between.
Yellow groups have the most direct connection — think straightforward synonyms or “types of X.” If you're just starting out, this is the group to look for first.
Only need a gentle nudge? A Yellow hint is usually enough to point you the right way without spoiling anything.
How to Play NYT Connections
The rules are simple: you get 16 words, and your job is to sort them into four groups of four based on a shared connection — a category, theme, or wordplay link.
The Rules
- 1Scan all 16 words and look for patterns or shared meanings.
- 2Pick the four words you think belong together.
- 3Submit your guess.
- 4Guessed right? That group is removed from the board, color-coded by difficulty.
- 5Use the remaining words to spot the next group.
- 6Repeat until all four groups are solved.
- 7Watch your mistakes — you're allowed only four before the puzzle ends.
Four Mistakes Limit
Only four wrong guesses allowed. Solve Yellow and Green first — it makes Blue and Purple far easier, and saves your mistakes for when they count.
The Four Groups
Every puzzle has one of each — from easiest to hardest. See what each color usually hides ↓
Yellow
EasiestGreen
MediumBlue
HarderPurple
HardestHow to Solve the NYT Connections Puzzle Every Day
Some groups jump out at you; others are built to fool you. These strategies will help you spot both, no matter how tricky today's puzzle gets. Want a deeper breakdown of a specific puzzle? Check our strategy blog.
Start With the Obvious Group
Scan the board for words with the clearest shared meaning first — that's usually your Yellow or Green group. Locking one in early narrows the board and makes everything after it easier.
Let Elimination Do the Work
Every group you solve removes four words from the equation. Fewer words on the board means fewer possible combinations — so even a tough Purple category gets easier once the easy ones are out of the way.
Don't Fall for Red Herrings
Wyna Liu plants words that look like they fit two or three groups at once. If a word seems too convenient, pause — check whether the other three words actually support that connection, or if you're being led astray.
Look Past the Literal Meaning
Not every group is about definitions. The connection might be a phrase, a sound-alike, a hidden name, or a pun — so if the obvious meaning isn't working, try reading the words differently.
Draw on Pop Culture and General Knowledge
Movies, music, sports, brands, history, and celebrity names show up often in Connections. The wider your general knowledge, the faster these references click.
Sort by Word Type
Check whether a set of words shares a grammatical role — all names, all places, all verbs — that alone can hint at how a group is built.
Check for Shared Prefixes, Suffixes, or Roots
Some categories connect words that can all take the same prefix, suffix, or root. Try adding common word parts and see if a pattern forms.
Try the Fill-in-the-Blank Test
Drop each word into a common phrase or sentence structure. If several words complete the same phrase, that's likely your connection.
Slow Down Before You Guess
A group that looks right at first glance can still be a trap. Double-check your logic against all four words before submitting — you only get four mistakes, so make each one count.
Get to Know Your Trivia
According to Connections editor Wyna Liu, the Blue and Green groups are often the ones built around trivia and general knowledge — think file extensions, brand names, or "synonyms for" categories — rather than plain word meaning. That's exactly why brushing up on a few everyday topics can make these mid-tier groups click faster. Connections pulls from a wide range of subjects, so a bit of familiarity across the board goes a long way. Want more practice? Browse past puzzles in our archive:
Frequently Asked Questions
Today's Connections hints give you a small clue about each group without revealing the full answers right away. You can use them when you're stuck but still want to solve the puzzle yourself.
Still have a question, or spotted a mistake in today's puzzle? Get in touch.
