Looking for today’s NYT Connections hints and answers? The New York Times Connections puzzle for Thursday, September 17, 2026, is game #1194. The daily word game gives players 16 words and asks them to sort them into four groups of four based on a common connection.
Today’s puzzle includes categories involving elasticity, underground places, Hugh Jackman movies and phrases beginning with “Love.” Several words can appear to fit more than one group, so careful thinking is important.
Spoiler warning: The complete NYT Connections answers are below.
NYT Connections Hints for September 17
Want some help before revealing the solutions? Here are spoiler-light NYT Connections hints for puzzle #1194:
- Yellow: Think of something that can stretch or return to its original shape.
- Green: These places or structures are located below the surface.
- Blue: Think of movies featuring Australian actor Hugh Jackman.
- Purple: Complete a common phrase that begins with “Love.”
These clues provide a starting point without immediately revealing all 16 answers.
Today’s NYT Connections Answers
If you are ready to see the complete solution, here are the four categories for NYT Connections #1194.
Yellow: ELASTICITY
BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE, SPRING
These words relate to the ability of something to stretch, bend or return to its original form. “Bounce” and “spring” are particularly useful clues, while “give” and “flexibility” describe the ability to yield or change shape.
Green: THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND
MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE, SUBWAY STATION, WELL
All four refer to structures or places that can be found underground. A mine shaft provides access to a mine, a sewer line carries wastewater, a subway station can sit below ground and a well extends into the earth.
Blue: HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH “THE”
FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES, WOLVERINE
This category is based on Hugh Jackman films when combined with the word “The”: The Fountain, The Prestige, The Sheep Detectives and The Wolverine. This is one of the trickier connections because the individual words do not immediately look related.
Purple: LOVE ___
HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, TRIANGLE
Each word can follow “Love” to create a phrase or title: love handles, love language, love tap and love triangle. This wordplay-heavy group can be easier to spot after the other categories have been removed.
How to Solve NYT Connections Today
The best way to approach NYT Connections is to search for the most specific relationship rather than grouping words simply because they seem related. The game allows up to four mistakes, so testing a category mentally before submitting it can prevent an unnecessary error.
Start with obvious combinations, then remove those four words from the board. If you are stuck, look for words that can form familiar phrases or titles. Today’s “Love ___” group is a good example of how a phrase-based connection can hide in plain sight.
Be especially careful with words that have multiple meanings. A word such as “spring” can refer to a season, a water source or something elastic, making it an effective red herring in a puzzle like this.
Conclusion
Today’s NYT Connections #1194 combines word associations, pop culture and phrase-based clues. The easiest starting point is the elasticity group, while the Hugh Jackman movie category requires more specific knowledge.
If you were stuck on today’s puzzle, these NYT Connections hints and answers for September 17, 2026 should help explain how all 16 words fit together. Check back tomorrow for the latest Connections clues, categories and answers.
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