Game #1184 (September 7) serves up a tidy mix of literal and lateral thinking that nudges you from obvious noun clusters into a subtly fiendish final quartet. Today’s board rewards quick semantic picks, then punishes assumptions with one group that hides in plain sight.
If you cleared the easy pairs fast, you probably still felt the tug of a couple of convincing decoys — exactly the sort of board that separates a casual run from a satisfying solve.
SPOILER WARNING: The rest of this article names today’s groups and shows all four answers. Stop reading if you want to finish the puzzle yourself.
Today’s NYT Connections words
Here are the 16 words you were given today.
- NEEDLES | TRAMPOLINE | CHRISTMAS | CUP
- PLUTONIUM | TURPENTINE | YARN | SCAR TISSUE
- CAR AIR FRESHENER | STITCH MARKER | FABRICATION | HOOK
- TALL TALE | STRAP | FISH STORY | UNDERWIRE
Today’s NYT Connections hints
Four spoiler-light nudges to help you spot each set without giving the title away.
- 🟡 Yellow: These four words all mean the same thing when used about a single narrator’s exaggeration.
- 🟢 Green: Think structural elements that support and fasten a common undergarment.
- 🔵 Blue: All four items are things you might associate with a certain evergreen.
- 🟣 Purple: The link is not about definition but about what the words begin with.
Today’s NYT Connections group titles
- 🟡 Yellow: “QUITE THE SAGA”
- 🟢 Green: “PARTS OF A BRA”
- 🔵 Blue: “ASSOCIATED WITH PINE TREES”
- 🟣 Purple: “STARTING WITH DISNEY CHARACTERS”
What are today’s NYT Connections answers?
Below are the four correct groups and their member words.
| Colour | Group | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 Yellow | QUITE THE SAGA | FABRICATION, FISH STORY, TALL TALE, YARN |
| 🟢 Green | PARTS OF A BRA | CUP, HOOK, STRAP, UNDERWIRE |
| 🔵 Blue | ASSOCIATED WITH PINE TREES | CAR AIR FRESHENER, CHRISTMAS, NEEDLES, TURPENTINE |
| 🟣 Purple | STARTING WITH DISNEY CHARACTERS | PLUTONIUM, SCAR TISSUE, STITCH MARKER, TRAMPOLINE |
Today’s Connections — expert analysis
The natural entry point was the yellow set: FABRICATION, FISH STORY, TALL TALE and YARN share the plain-English sense of a stretched or invented story. Those four are semantic teammates and stand out quickly, which is why this group was tagged easiest. The bra parts in green were similarly straightforward once you spotted CUP, STRAP, HOOK and UNDERWIRE — each a literal part of the garment rather than a metaphorical use.
The real puzzle difficulty came from the purple quartet. “STARTING WITH DISNEY CHARACTERS” is a surface-trick theme — the words themselves are ordinary (PLUTONIUM, SCAR TISSUE, STITCH MARKER, TRAMPOLINE) but each begins with a Disney character name (Pluto, Scar, Stitch, Tramp). That makes them easy to overlook because you first parse the whole word for meaning: PLUTONIUM reads like the element, SCAR TISSUE reads medical, and TRAMPOLINE looks like playground equipment. Those literal readings are convincing decoys and will lure players toward other semantic groups: STITCH MARKER tempts a sewing cluster, NEEDLES and YARN pull toward knitting, and HOOK can plausibly join fishing or fastening themes.
If you get stuck, spend your first safe guess on the yellow saga words — YARN or TALL TALE are low-risk picks — or immediately lock in one of the bra parts like CUP, which narrows obvious hits quickly and protects you from the purple trap. Calling out NEEDLES early is also useful: it either confirms the pine-tree set or exposes it as a decoy linking to sewing.
Difficulty: 3.5/5 — a clean board spoiled by a clever, nonsemantic final group.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Game #1183)
For reference, here are yesterday’s groups and their members.
- 🟡 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
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word game in which players group 16 words into four related sets of four. Each set shares a common link that can be thematic, literal, or a wordplay trick.
The challenge is to find all four groups using as few guesses as possible; wrong picks reduce your available attempts, so balancing bold connections with conservative plays is the core skill.
How to play NYT Connections
- Select words you believe form a group of four; correct sets are locked in.
- Incorrect sets consume one of your limited guesses; use them sparingly.
- Repeat until all four groups are found or you run out of guesses.
Past week’s NYT Connections answers
Missed a day? Full solutions from earlier this week, newest first.
Game #1182 — September 5
- 🟡 MOVE UNSTEADILY: SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER, WOBBLE
- 🟢 BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA: COO, GOBBLE, HONK, WARBLE
- 🔵 ___HEAD: BOBBLE, HAMMER, JUG, SLEEPY
- 🟣 DESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTER: COBBLE, PI, TAR, TORT
Game #1181 — September 4
- 🟡 SPHERICAL THINGS: BOWLING BALL, EYE, MOON, ORANGE
- 🟢 FOOD WHOSE NAME IS TWO FOODS: CAKE DONUT, CANDY CORN, CHERRY TOMATO, PIZZA PIE
- 🔵 KINDS OF EELS: CONGER, GULPER, MORAY, RIBBON
- 🟣 ACCESSORIES INSIDE STARTING AND ENDING LETTERS: CRINGY, OPINE, STIED, THAT’S
Game #1180 — September 3
- 🟡 TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB’S TAIL: BLINK, FLASH, HEARTBEAT, TRICE
- 🟢 SHADES OF RED: CARMINE, CINNABAR, MAROON, VERMILLION
- 🔵 TOY CAR BRANDS: HOT WHEELS, MATCHBOX, MICRO MACHINES, TONKA
- 🟣 SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONS: AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, SUM
Game #1179 — September 2
- 🟡 FLABBERGAST: DAZZLE, FLOOR, STUN, WOW
- 🟢 THINGS IN A VIOLIN CASE: BOW, MUTE, ROSIN, SHOULDER REST
- 🔵 ___ DOGS (THAT ARE DOGS): HUNTING, RESCUE, SAUSAGE, SHEEP
- 🟣 ___ DOGS (THAT AREN’T DOGS): CORN, PRAIRIE, SALTY, TOP
Game #1178 — September 1
- 🟡 “I PROMISE!”: CROSS MY HEART, FOR REAL, ON GOD, PINKY SWEAR
- 🟢 LONG, SKINNY THINGS OFTEN SEEN TOGETHER: ARROW, GOLF CLUB, PICK-UP STICK, SPAGHETTO
- 🔵 PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS OF FICTION: HERCULE POIROT, MIKE HAMMER, SAM SPADE, SHERLOCK HOLMES
- 🟣 STARTING WITH WORDS OF INTENTION: AIMEE MANN, HOPE DIAMOND, PLANETARIUM, WISHY-WASHY
Game #1177 — August 31
- 🟡 THINGS THAT COME IN TUBES: LIPSTICK, POSTER, TENNIS BALLS, TOOTHPASTE
- 🟢 WARNINGS ON A SHIPPING BOX: FRAGILE, HEAVY, PERISHABLE, THIS SIDE UP
- 🔵 HISTORICAL SOVEREIGN TITLES: CALIPH, KHAN, PHARAOH, SHOGUN
- 🟣 ___ BOWL: DUST, POKE, SALAD, SUPER
More daily puzzle help from HashTechWave
- Today’s NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers
- Today’s NYT Spelling Bee answers and pangram
- Today’s Wordle hints, clues and answer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle unlock?
A brand-new puzzle drops every single night at midnight local time across your specific region’s time zone on NYT Connection official site.
Why do some words seem to fit into two different groups?
The puzzle is specifically designed to include “decoys” or overlapping vocabulary. Always look for a backup configuration of words before locking in an early guess to protect your attempt counter.
Can I review answers to older puzzles?
Yes — we keep the past week of solutions right here on this page. Scroll up to the “Past week’s NYT Connections answers” section for every recent grid, newest first, plus a full breakdown of yesterday’s puzzle.
