Here are today's NYT Connections hints and answers for September 6, 2026, puzzle #1277. Solving tips come first, then progressive hints, then the full solution behind a spoiler.
How to solve Connections
Work the board like a set of four tiny categories, not sixteen random words.
- Start with the most obvious foursome. That is usually the Yellow group, and clearing it shrinks the board fast.
- When two words feel linked, hunt for the other two before you submit. A wrong guess burns one of your four lives.
- Watch for red herrings: words that fit two categories on purpose. If a set feels almost right but one word is forced, leave it.
- Save Purple for last. It is often wordplay, a shared phrase piece, or a trickier theme than the earlier colors.
- If you are stuck, sort the leftover words by part of speech or by the kind of thing they name (places, foods, verbs) and see what clusters.
Today's Connections board
The sixteen words in today's grid: SAT SCORE, UPC CODE, USB PORT, ATM MACHINE, CARD SLOT, BLANK CHECK, COURT SCRIBE, PIN NUMBER, DIRECTOR'S CUT, OPTICAL DRIVE, CARTE BLANCHE, HEADPHONE JACK, FREE REIN, PIZZA SLICE, LCD DISPLAY, FULL AUTHORITY.
Today's NYT Connections hints
Each hint gives away a little more than the last. Stop as soon as one clicks.
Yellow group hint
These four start with B, C, F, and F. If that is not enough, one of them is BLANK CHECK.
Green group hint
These four start with C, H, O, and U. If that is not enough, one of them is CARD SLOT.
Blue group hint
These four start with A, L, P, and U. If that is not enough, one of them is ATM MACHINE.
Purple group hint
These four start with C, D, P, and S. If that is not enough, one of them is COURT SCRIBE.
Today's NYT Connections answers
Reveal today's answers
Full spoilers inside. The four groups for September 6, 2026, in difficulty order.
Yellow: UNRESTRICTED PERMISSION
BLANK CHECK, CARTE BLANCHE, FREE REIN, FULL AUTHORITY
Green: PLACES TO INSERT SOMETHING INTO ON A COMPUTER
CARD SLOT, HEADPHONE JACK, OPTICAL DRIVE, USB PORT
Blue: ABBREVIATIONS FOLLOWED BY REDUNDANT WORD
ATM MACHINE, LCD DISPLAY, PIN NUMBER, UPC CODE
Purple: ENDING WITH WAYS TO CARVE A SURFACE
COURT SCRIBE, DIRECTOR'S CUT, PIZZA SLICE, SAT SCORE
In this puzzle, BLANK CHECK means unrestricted permission, like a signed check with no amount filled in.
I asked my boss for a blank check on this project, but he handed me a checkbook and said, "Go wild, just don't bounce."
How to play NYT Connections
Sixteen words, four hidden groups of four, and four mistakes allowed. Use the solving tips above before you burn a life on a maybe.
FAQ
What time does NYT Connections reset?
The puzzle refreshes at midnight Eastern time, which is when this page picks up the new answers.
Where can I play NYT Connections?
On the New York Times Games site and in the NYT Games app.
Stuck on a different word game?
Our word unscrambler turns any jumble of letters into every word you can make from them, which covers Wordscapes, Words with Friends, and anagram puzzles.