Need help with todayâs NYT Connections? Here are spoiler-free hints and the answers for puzzle #1204 on September 27, 2026.
NYT Connections hints for September 27
- Yellow: Think of materials an artist or sculptor might shape into a work of art.
- Green: Think about the different places or types of seats you might be offered at a restaurant.
- Blue: Look for words commonly associated with phone and telecommunications services.
- Purple: Look closely at the endings of these words. Each one contains the name of a Chinese dynasty.
Main trap: CHAIR and STOOL may make you focus only on furniture, while CARRIER and PROVIDER can fit several business-related categories. The key is recognizing that the Green group is specifically about restaurant seating and the Blue group belongs to telecommunications.
Blue clue: CARRIER and NETWORK are strong anchors. Both appear frequently in mobile and communications terminology, which should help you connect OPERATOR and PROVIDER.
Purple clue: BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN and WU-TANG look unrelated at first. Focus on their final letters and see whether each ending matches the name of a historic Chinese dynasty.
Todayâs NYT Connections answers
Reveal the Yellow Group
Category: Sculpture media
Answers: BRONZE, CLAY, MARBLE, PLASTER
All four are materials commonly used to create sculptures. CLAY and PLASTER can be shaped or molded, while BRONZE and MARBLE are classic materials found in sculpture and fine art.
Reveal the Green Group
Category: Restaurant seating options
Answers: BANQUETTE, BOOTH, CHAIR, STOOL
Each word describes a type of seating you might find in a restaurant. BOOTH and CHAIR are the most obvious, while BANQUETTE and STOOL complete the group.
Reveal the Blue Group
Category: Telecom
Answers: CARRIER, NETWORK, OPERATOR, PROVIDER
All four are common terms in telecommunications. A CARRIER or PROVIDER supplies service, while NETWORK and OPERATOR are also widely used in the mobile and telecom industry.
CARRIER and NETWORK offer the strongest starting clues, while OPERATOR and PROVIDER can be harder because they also appear in many other industries.
Reveal the Purple Group
Category: Ending in Chinese dynasties
Answers: BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN, WU-TANG
Each answer ends with the name of a Chinese dynasty: BBQING ends in QING, HOMING ends in MING, LOHAN ends in HAN and WU-TANG ends in TANG.
This is the puzzleâs main wordplay category because the connection is hidden inside the endings rather than based on the meanings of the full words.
Why todayâs Connections was tricky: The September 27 puzzle combines familiar sculpture materials and restaurant seating with telecom terminology and a more unusual Purple wordplay group. CARRIER and PROVIDER can point in several directions, while the dynasty connection in BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN and WU-TANG is easy to miss unless you focus on the word endings.
Todayâs solving lesson: When a group of words seems completely unrelated, examine smaller parts of each word rather than only their definitions. Connections often hides categories inside prefixes, suffixes, spellings or familiar names.
Players can attempt the official daily puzzle and check their results on the New York Times Connections page.
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