Today’s NYT Connections puzzle for September 14, 2026, mixes waterbirds, informant slang, single-use plastic items and words that pair with “grass.” The biggest trap is CANARY, which looks like an obvious bird answer but actually belongs in a completely different group.
Several categories are straightforward once one strong anchor appears, but the puzzle is designed to punish players who group words only by their most obvious meaning.
NYT Connections hints for September 14
- Yellow: Birds commonly found around lakes, ponds and wetlands.
- Green: Slang terms for someone who gives information about another person.
- Blue: Disposable items often associated with takeaway food, drinks or shopping.
- Purple: Add the same lawn-related word after each answer to create a familiar compound word.
Main trap: CANARY appears to belong naturally with the birds, but it is being used through a completely different association. COOT, GOOSE, LOON and TEAL form the actual bird group.
Blue clue: Think about items commonly used once and then discarded in shops, cafes, restaurants or takeaway settings.
Purple clue: BLUE, CRAB, LEMON and WHEAT all become familiar words when the same word is added after them.
Today’s NYT Connections answers
Reveal the Yellow Group
Category: Waterbirds
Answers: COOT, GOOSE, LOON, TEAL
All four are birds strongly associated with water. COOTS are commonly seen on ponds and lakes, GEESE are familiar waterfowl, LOONS are freshwater diving birds and TEALS are small ducks.
Reveal the Green Group
Category: Informant
Answers: CANARY, RAT, SNITCH, STOOLIE
Each can describe someone who gives information about another person. RAT, SNITCH and STOOLIE are familiar slang terms, while CANARY connects through the expression “sing like a canary.”
CANARY is the strongest decoy because its literal meaning strongly suggests the Yellow bird group.
Reveal the Blue Group
Category: Common single-use plastic items
Answers: BAG, CUTLERY, STIRRER, STRAW
Each is commonly associated with disposable plastic products. Bags, cutlery, drink stirrers and straws are frequently used in retail or food-service settings and then discarded.
Reveal the Purple Group
Category: ___ grass
Answers: BLUE, CRAB, LEMON, WHEAT
Each forms a familiar compound word with GRASS: bluegrass, crabgrass, lemongrass and wheatgrass.
Why today’s Connections was tricky: CANARY is the key misdirection because it fits the surface meaning of the bird category while actually belonging with informant slang. The Purple group also requires players to stop looking for a shared definition and instead build compound words.
Today’s solving lesson: When one answer seems almost too perfect for an obvious group, check its secondary meanings before submitting. Connections often uses words with strong literal associations to hide a completely different relationship.
Players can attempt the official daily puzzle and check their results on the New York Times Connections page.
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