Here are today's NYT Connections hints and answers for September 12, 2026, puzzle #1285. 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: TURN SIGNAL, WEATHER, POSTER, BUMPER STICKER, VANITY PLATE, CURSOR, SPOILER, TROLL, SMOKE DETECTOR, FUZZY DICE, SPAMMER, NERD, RED, EYELIDS, HOOD ORNAMENT, LURKER.
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, F, H, and V. If that is not enough, one of them is BUMPER STICKER.
Green group hint
These four start with L, P, S, and T. If that is not enough, one of them is LURKER.
Blue group hint
These four start with C, E, S, and T. If that is not enough, one of them is CURSOR.
Purple group hint
These four start with N, R, S, and W. If that is not enough, one of them is NERD.
Today's NYT Connections answers
Reveal today's answers
Full spoilers inside. The four groups for September 12, 2026, in difficulty order.
Yellow: WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A CAR
BUMPER STICKER, FUZZY DICE, HOOD ORNAMENT, VANITY PLATE
Green: PEOPLE IN AN ONLINE FORUM
LURKER, POSTER, SPAMMER, TROLL
Blue: THINGS THAT BLINK
CURSOR, EYELIDS, SMOKE DETECTOR, TURN SIGNAL
Purple: ___ ALERT
A BUMPER STICKER is an adhesive label slapped on a car's rear end to broadcast a short message, one of the ways to personalize a car.
It is the only political statement that gets stuck in traffic and stays there.
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?
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