Looking for today’s NYT Connections hints and answers? The New York Times word puzzle for Monday, September 28, 2026, is game #1205. Players must arrange 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared connection. The puzzle includes a mix of straightforward categories and a particularly tricky word-pattern group.
If you want to solve the puzzle yourself, start with the hints below before scrolling to the full answers.
NYT Connections Words for September 28
Today’s 16 words are:
CHIHUAHUA, LEMON, VIPER, BAMBOO, CELERY, TABASCO, ARKANSANS, DURANGO, SPRINGING, CHARGER, HORSERADISH, WHEAT, POSSESSES, MIGNONETTE, CORN, CHALLENGER.
Some words may appear to fit more than one category, which is one of the main challenges of NYT Connections. Look for a precise relationship that connects exactly four tiles.
NYT Connections Hints for Today
Here are spoiler-light clues for each category:
- Yellow: Plants or crops with stalks
- Green: Things that can accompany oysters
- Blue: Names associated with automobiles
- Purple: Look closely at repeated three-letter sequences
These hints should help narrow down the grid without immediately giving away the solutions.
What Are Today’s NYT Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert: The complete solutions for NYT Connections #1205 are below.
Things With Stalks
BAMBOO, CELERY, CORN, WHEAT
These four words can all be associated with plants that have stalks. The category may initially look broad, but the four tiles form a clean group once the other possible combinations are removed.
Oyster Condiments
HORSERADISH, LEMON, MIGNONETTE, TABASCO
These are all accompaniments or condiments that can be served with oysters. Mignonette is particularly useful as a clue because it can be less familiar to players than the other three words.
Dodge Models
CHALLENGER, CHARGER, DURANGO, VIPER
All four are names of Dodge vehicle models. This group becomes easier once CHALLENGER and CHARGER are recognized as vehicle names, leaving DURANGO and VIPER to complete the category.
Three Letters Plus Repeated Trigrams
ARKANSANS, CHIHUAHUA, POSSESSES, SPRINGING
This is the most unusual group in today’s NYT Connections puzzle. Each word contains a repeated three-letter sequence: ARKANSANS contains “ANS,” CHIHUAHUA contains “HUA,” POSSESSES contains “SES,” and SPRINGING contains “ING.”
NYT Connections Tips for Future Games
When solving NYT Connections, don’t group words simply because they seem related. The game often includes misleading combinations designed to create false connections. Instead, identify a group of four and check whether every word fits the same specific relationship.
For difficult puzzles, examine spelling patterns, word endings, names, abbreviations and multiple meanings. If three tiles clearly fit together, look at the remaining words carefully before committing, since the fourth tile can often reveal a more precise category.
Conclusion
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle combines familiar subjects such as crops, food and cars with a challenging spelling-based purple category. If you were stuck, the repeated-letter pattern in the final group was the key to completing game #1205.
