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 #1188) - today's words
Today's NYT Connections words are…
- PROCESS
- LUCK
- JOURNAL
- DIGEST
- EXERCISE
- ABSORB
- PLANNER
- ENVELOPE
- UNPLUG
- AGENDA
- TAKE IN
- BAND
- PHOTOGRAPHER
- MEDITATE
- FLORIST
- LIMITS
NYT Connections today (game #1188) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Wedding employees
- GREEN: Deep thoughts
- BLUE: Look after your wellbeing
- PURPLE: Move forward
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 #1188) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT
- GREEN: INTERNALIZE
- BLUE: WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE
- PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1188) - the answers
The answers to today's Connections, game #1188, are…
- YELLOW: PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT: BAND, FLORIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, PLANNER
- GREEN: INTERNALIZE: ABSORB, DIGEST, PROCESS, TAKE IN
- BLUE: WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE: EXERCISE, JOURNAL, MEDITATE, UNPLUG
- PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY: AGENDA, ENVELOPE, LIMITS, LUCK
- My rating: Hard
- My score: 1 mistake
If only I had pushed the ENVELOPE I could have got a purple first.
Alas, before seeing THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY I had already made a mistake, linking DIGEST, JOURNAL, AGENDA and PLANNER thinking these were forms of written documentation.
Fortunately, my error was a minor hiccup and some light thought, rather than the deep variety, helped me connect INTERNALIZE and WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, September 10, 2026, game #1187)
- YELLOW: CHEMICAL ELEMENTS ACTINIUM, KRYPTON, LEAD, SULFUR
- GREEN: WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE STICKING OUT OF A WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER, CATIO, CLOTHESLINE, FLOWER BOX
- BLUE: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN CLASSICS: ATLANTIC CITY, BADLANDS, BORN TO RUN, THUNDER ROAD
- PURPLE: ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "HAPPENING NOW" ADULT CONTEMPORARY, ALTERNATING CURRENT, REPRESENT, SEXTANT
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.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.