Looking for a different day?
A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Sunday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, September 20 (game #1197).
Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.
What should you do once you’ve finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I’ve also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc’s Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #1198) – today’s words
Today’s NYT Connections words are…
- COMPOSE
- CHECK
- FLY
- BEET
- BRAH
- WORM
- SPAM
- MATE
- CASTLE
- CHUM
- VIVA
- SENT
- CHOP
- CAPTURE
- DRAFTS
- SPINNER
NYT Connections today (game #1198) – hint #1 – group hints
What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW:Messaging tabs
- GREEN:Used in angling
- BLUE:Words relevant to board game
- PURPLE:Classical open
Need more clues?
We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections today (game #1198) – hint #2 – group answers
What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW:EMAIL BUTTONS
- GREEN:WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH
- BLUE:CHESS VERBS
- PURPLE:STARTS OF COMPOSERS’ NAMES
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1198) – the answers
The answers to today’s Connections, game #1198, are…
- YELLOW: EMAIL BUTTONS:COMPOSE, DRAFTS, SENT, SPAM
- GREEN: WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH:CHUM, FLY, SPINNER, WORM
- BLUE: CHESS VERBS:CAPTURE, CASTLE, CHECK, MATE
- PURPLE: STARTS OF COMPOSERS’ NAMES:BEET, BRAH, CHOP, VIVA
- My rating: Hard
- My score:Perfect
I came close to creating a group containing BRAH, MATE, and CHUM but stopped myself after failing to find a fourth tile of friendship slang.
CHUM, I then decided, must have something to do with fishing — a thought triggered by salty sea dog QUINT in the classic Spielberg movie Jaws and his bucket of CHUM.
EMAIL BUTTONS, meanwhile, contained four words that you see nearly every day of your working life but blank out for that very reason; somehow I was able to force myself to link COMPOSE, DRAFTS, SENT, and SPAM.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Sunday, September 20, 2026, game #1197)
- YELLOW: ROUND FLAT THINGS:BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA
- GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH KENTUCKY:BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN
- BLUE: VAMPIRE MOVIES:BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT
- PURPLE: _____BOARDS YOU RIDE ON:HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don’t technically need to solve the final one, as you’ll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What’s more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It’s a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
