Today’s NYT Connections #1194 has some clever misdirection. Need a nudge? Start with the spoiler-free hints before revealing the answers.
NYT Connections hints for September 17
- Yellow: Think about stretching, bending or the ability to return to shape.
- Green: These are all things you would typically find below ground level.
- Blue: Think of films starring Hugh Jackman whose titles begin with the same word.
- Purple: Add the same four-letter word before each answer to create familiar expressions.
Main trap: SPRING can suggest a season and WELL can describe something done successfully, but both belong to more specific categories here.
Blue clue: WOLVERINE is the strongest anchor. Once you connect it with Hugh Jackman, look for three more movie titles that can follow “The.”
Purple clue: Do not search for a shared definition between HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP and TRIANGLE. Put the same word before each one.
Today’s NYT Connections answers
Reveal the Yellow Group
Category: Elasticity
Answers: BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE, SPRING
All four relate to elasticity or the ability of something to stretch, bend or move and then respond. BOUNCE and SPRING suggest movement back, while FLEXIBILITY and GIVE describe the ability to bend or yield.
Reveal the Green Group
Category: Things that are underground
Answers: MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE, SUBWAY STATION, WELL
Each can be located below the surface. Mine shafts extend underground, sewer lines are buried, many subway stations sit beneath streets and wells reach down into the ground to access water.
Reveal the Blue Group
Category: Hugh Jackman movies, with “The”
Answers: FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES, WOLVERINE
Each becomes the title of a Hugh Jackman movie when “The” is added at the beginning: The Fountain, The Prestige, The Sheep Detectives and The Wolverine.
WOLVERINE is the clearest giveaway because Jackman is closely associated with the character, while the other titles may take longer to recognize.
Reveal the Purple Group
Category: Love ___
Answers: HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, TRIANGLE
Each forms a familiar phrase when preceded by LOVE: love handles, love language, love tap and love triangle.
Why today’s Connections was tricky: The Blue category depends on movie knowledge rather than a direct vocabulary connection, while the Purple group requires spotting a shared word that comes before all four answers.
Today’s solving lesson: When four words seem unrelated, try adding the same word before or after each one. Connections frequently hides categories inside familiar phrases, titles and compound expressions.
Players can attempt the official daily puzzle and check their results on the New York Times Connections page.
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