Today’s NYT Connections for September 6, 2026 (#1183) has some tricky groups. Need help? Start with our hints, then reveal today’s answers.
NYT Connections hints for September 6
- Yellow: Think about phrases that give someone complete freedom or permission to act.
- Green: Look for places on a computer or device where something can be inserted or connected.
- Blue: These familiar phrases contain an abbreviation followed by a word that repeats part of the abbreviation’s meaning.
- Purple: Look closely at how each phrase ends. The final word points to a way of marking or carving a surface.
Main trap: The blue group contains expressions such as ATM machine and PIN number that sound completely normal in everyday conversation. The trick is recognizing that the final word is technically redundant because its meaning is already contained in the abbreviation.
Blue clue: Think about what the letters in ATM, LCD, PIN and UPC actually stand for before looking at the word that follows each abbreviation.
Purple clue: Focus on the final words in the phrases rather than their overall meanings. SCRIBE, CUT, SLICE and SCORE can all relate to making a mark or carving into a surface.
Today’s NYT Connections answers
Reveal the Yellow Group
Category: Unrestricted permission
Answers: BLANK CHECK, CARTE BLANCHE, FREE REIGN, FULL AUTHORITY
Each phrase refers to having broad or unrestricted permission to act. A blank check or carte blanche suggests wide freedom to make decisions, while free reign and full authority similarly describe having few or no meaningful restrictions.
Reveal the Green Group
Category: Places to insert something into on a computer
Answers: CARD SLOT, HEADPHONE JACK, OPTICAL DRIVE, USB PORT
Each answer names a part of a computer or related device where something can be physically inserted or connected, from a memory card and headphones to an optical disc or USB device.
Reveal the Blue Group
Category: Abbreviations followed by redundant word
Answers: ATM MACHINE, LCD DISPLAY, PIN NUMBER, UPC CODE
Each phrase repeats a word already represented by the final letter of its abbreviation. ATM ends in “machine,” LCD ends in “display,” PIN ends in “number” and UPC ends in “code,” making the added word redundant.
Reveal the Purple Group
Category: Ending with ways to carve a surface
Answers: COURT SCRIBE, DIRECTOR’S CUT, PIZZA SLICE, SAT SCORE
The final word in each phrase can describe a way of making a mark, line or incision on a surface: scribe, cut, slice and score.
Why today’s Connections was tricky: The blue category relies on noticing redundancy hidden inside phrases people use all the time, while the purple group requires ignoring the usual meanings of four familiar phrases and concentrating on their endings instead.
Today’s solving lesson: When a group refuses to come together by meaning alone, inspect abbreviations, compound phrases and individual word endings. Connections often hides its toughest categories inside familiar expressions that initially seem unrelated.
Players can attempt the official daily puzzle and check their results on the New York Times Connections page.
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