Stumped by the first Connections puzzle of the week? We’re here to help. As you scroll down, you’ll see some general hints to nudge you in the right direction. Then, we’ll give you one from each group, followed by the list of themes. Finally, you will find the answers and their explanations at the end of the page. So, let’s dive into all the hints, clues, and answers to NYT Connections today (#1,198, September 21, 2026)
Read Also: Today’s Wordle 1920 Hints & Answer for Monday, September 21, 2026
In This Article
What is Connections?
Connections is one of the most popular word games from The New York Times, only trailing behind Wordle. The rules of the game are simple. You are presented with a 16-word grid where you’re supposed to find the entries that share something in common. There are a total of 4 groups, each consisting of 4 words, that you must find. The Yellow group is the easiest to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple. Sometimes, there are a couple of red herrings to throw you off and make the puzzle more interesting. You can play Connections in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.
Here’s your grid for today
- COMPOSE
- CHECK
- FLY
- BEET
- BRAH
- WORM
- SPAM
- MATE
- CASTLE
- CHUM
- VIVA
- SENT
- CHOP
- CAPTURE
- DRAFTS
- SPINNER
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,198) September 20, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Things you see when you log into your email account.
- 🟢Green Group: Used while fishing.
- 🔵Blue Group: Actions on a chessboard.
- 🟣Purple Group: Parts of musicians’ names from a different era.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Compose.
- 🟢Green Group: Chum.
- 🔵Blue Group: Capture.
- 🟣Purple Group: Beet.
List of Themes (Major Spoilers)
Maybe getting to know the common themes among the words will help you spot them faster. Here are all the categories for today.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Email Buttons.
- 🟢Green Group: Ways To Attract Fish.
- 🔵Blue Group: Chess Verbs.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starts Of Composers’ Names.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,198) Today (September 20, 2026)
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Compose, Drafts, Sent, Spam. (Email Buttons)
If you log in to your email account, you will see these buttons and folders on the home page.
- 🟢Green Group: Chum, Fly, Spinner, Worm. (Ways To Attract Fish)
These are the different kinds of bait you use to attract fish while fishing.
- 🔵Blue Group: Capture, Castle, Check, Mate. (Chess Verbs)
Capture – Removing your opponent’s piece from the board. Castle (or Castling) – Moving the King two squares towards the Rook, then placing the Rook on the square that the King passed over. Check – The state where the opponent’s King is directly threatened. Mate – When a King is in check and has no way to escape.
- 🟣Purple Group: Beet, Brah, Chop, Viva. (Starts Of Composers’ Names)
Beet-thoven. Brah-ms. Chop-in. Viva-ldi.
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,198, September 20, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Blu-Ray, Coaster, Sand Dollar, Tortilla. (Round Flat Things)
- 🟢Green Group: Bluegrass, Bourbon, Derby, Fried Chicken. (Associated With Kentucky)
- 🔵Blue Group: Blade, Near Dark, Sinners, Twilight. (Vampire Movies)
- 🟣Purple Group: Hover, Skate, Snow, Surf. (___ Boards You Ride On)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,196 (September 19, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Branch Out, Diversify, Expand, Grow. (Widen One’s Scope)
- 🟢Green Group: House, Stick Figure, Sun, Tree. (Features Of A Kid’s Drawing)
- 🔵Blue Group: Carnaby Street, Miniskirt, Mod, Twiggy. (Associated With Swinging London In The 1960s)
- 🟣Purple Group: Cos Lettuce, Log Cabin, Sin City, Tan Line. (Starting With Abbreviated Math Functions)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,195 (September 18, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Phase, Round, Stage, Step. (Segment Of A Process)
- 🟢Green Group: Flight, Medley, Platter, Sampler. (Assortments Of Food/Drink)
- 🔵Blue Group: Boarding, Cruise, Landing, Takeoff. (Parts Of A Flight)
- 🟣Purple Group: Brief, Pillow, Stair, Upper. (___ Case)
How did other Connectors do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connections puzzle 2.2 out of 5. This puts it in the medium difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!
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