Here are today's NYT Connections hints and answers for September 18, 2026, puzzle #1294. 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: PILLOW, CRUISE, UPPER, STEP, FLIGHT, STAIR, PLATTER, LANDING, ROUND, STAGE, TAKEOFF, MEDLEY, BRIEF, BOARDING, SAMPLER, PHASE.
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 P, R, S, and S. If that is not enough, one of them is PHASE.
Green group hint
These four start with F, M, P, and S. If that is not enough, one of them is FLIGHT.
Blue group hint
These four start with B, C, L, and T. If that is not enough, one of them is BOARDING.
Purple group hint
These four start with B, P, S, and U. If that is not enough, one of them is BRIEF.
Today's NYT Connections answers
Reveal today's answers
Full spoilers inside. The four groups for September 18, 2026, in difficulty order.
Yellow: SEGMENT OF A PROCESS
Green: ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK
FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER
Blue: PARTS OF A FLIGHT
BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, TAKEOFF
Purple: ___CASE
PHASE is a segment of a process, one stage in a sequence like ROUND, STAGE, and STEP.
I went through a rebellious phase, then a calmer phase, then a phase where I just wanted to phase out entirely.
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.