NYT Connections Hint & AnswersPuzzle #1205 · September 28, 2026
Stuck on today's NYT Connections puzzle? Get a single-word clue, a category hint, or the full answer for Puzzle #1205 — you choose exactly how much help you need.
Written by Hint Team · Updated September 28, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Puzzle #1205 (September 28, 2026) is rated Hard difficulty.
- 16 words sort into 4 hidden categories — Yellow (easiest) to Purple (hardest).
- Every word and every category has its own spoiler-free hint below.
- Full answers are revealed only when you tap to see them — nothing spoils automatically.
Today's Tip
Today's NYT Connections puzzle has four very different themes. One group focuses on things with stalks, another contains ingredients commonly served with oysters. The Blue group consists of Dodge models, while the Purple group is a pure spelling challenge built around repeated three-letter sequences. If you are looking for Connections hints for September 28, pay close attention to words that can fit more than one idea. CELERY, LEMON, TABASCO, and HORSERADISH can easily look like a general food group, while the car names may not be obvious until you recognize the manufacturer.
Hint For Each Word
Tap any tile to see what it means in today's puzzle — no spoilers.
Hints For All Four Categories
Ordered from easiest to hardest — reveal only as much as you need.
Traps & Misdirects
Words placed on purpose to mislead you — spot these before you burn a guess.
CELERY, LEMON, TABASCO, HORSERADISH
These four can easily look like ingredients for a Bloody Mary or a general cocktail-related group. But the actual connection is more specific: they are all oyster condiments. This was also noted as a major misdirect in a current puzzle review.
CELERY, CORN
Both are foods, but their puzzle connection is not simply “vegetables.” CELERY belongs with oyster condiments while CORN belongs with things that have stalks.
LEMON, WHEAT
Both are food-related words, but they point in different directions. LEMON belongs to the oyster group while WHEAT belongs to the stalk group.
VIPER, CHIHUAHUA
Both are animal names, which can make them look like the beginning of an animal category. VIPER is actually a Dodge model, while CHIHUAHUA belongs to the Purple spelling group.
CHALLENGER, CHARGER
These two are an obvious pair once you recognize the car connection. The challenge is spotting DURANGO and VIPER as the other two Dodge models.
DURANGO, ARKANSANS
Both can look like geographic names. DURANGO is a Dodge model, while ARKANSANS belongs to the repeated-trigram group.
CHIHUAHUA, HORSERADISH
Both can be difficult words to classify quickly. CHIHUAHUA is not part of an animal group here. Its spelling creates the Purple pattern: CHI-HUA-HUA.
SPRINGING, WHEAT
Both can suggest growth or plants in a loose association. SPRINGING belongs to Purple because of its spelling structure, while WHEAT belongs to Yellow.
ARKANSANS, CHIHUAHUA, POSSESSES, SPRINGING
These four have almost nothing in common semantically. The trick is to divide each into three-letter chunks. Each follows the same pattern: ABC-XYZ-XYZ.
Today's Full Answers
All four groups, revealed only when you're ready.
Answers are hidden by default so you can solve at your own pace. Tap below when you're ready to see everything.
Stuck on today's NYT Connections puzzle? Our Connections hints help you crack all 16 words into their four correct groups — without spoiling the fun. Start with gentle, spoiler-free clues, and only unlock more as you need them. We'll walk you step by step, from subtle hints to full category reveals and today's complete answers.
How to Use Our NYT Connections Hints
Every player gets stuck at a different point in the puzzle — knowing exactly where you're stuck is the fastest way to find the right hint. Match your situation below, use that hint, and get back to solving.
You Don't Recognize a Word's Meaning
Puzzle editor Wyna Liu often picks words with a specific or unusual meaning, especially in the green, blue, and purple groups. If you don't know what a word means in context, you can't confidently place it.
Use the Word Hint. It explains what that word means for today's puzzle. Just tap any word on the board to open its hint card.
None of the 16 Words Are Clicking Into Groups
Connections categories are built around a theme, not just word meaning — so the link between words isn't always obvious at first glance.
Use the Category Hint. It points you toward the theme of a group without naming the category or listing its words. Start with the Yellow Category Hint — yellow is always the easiest.
You Think You Have a Group, But You're Not Sure
A wrong guess costs you one of your four allowed mistakes, so it pays to confirm before you commit.
Use the Category Name. It reveals the exact name of a group without showing which words belong to it. If your guess matches, go for it; if not, you've dodged a mistake. Tap the color you're testing to see it.
A Word Seems to Fit More Than One Group
Wyna Liu deliberately plants misleading words that look like they belong in more than one category — these trip up more players than anything else in the puzzle.
Use the Traps and Misdirects Hint. It flags the tricky words in today's puzzle and explains why they don't belong where you'd expect.
You Know the Category, Just Not All the Words
You've spotted the theme but can't pin down every word that fits it.
Use the Word Reveal. It uncovers one word at a time, so you only see as much as you need — open your identified category and reveal words one by one until the group is complete.
New to Connections, or want to get better?
The full rules, what each difficulty color means, and strategies for spotting traps live in one place — our complete how-to-play guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Today's Connections hints give you a small clue about each group without revealing the full answers right away. You can use them when you're stuck but still want to solve the puzzle yourself.
Still have a question, or spotted a mistake in today's puzzle? Get in touch.
