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Verified archive for September 5, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1182

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 5, 2026

Connections puzzle #1182 for September 5, 2026 combines movement, bird onomatopoeia, words completed by HEAD and shortened dessert names.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Group 1Category hidden
Group 2Category hidden
Group 3Category hidden
Group 4Category hidden

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

Today’s puzzle explained

How the September 5 board fits together

Edited by Wyna Liu. A player may notice the shared -OBBLE ending in BOBBLE, COBBLE, GOBBLE and WOBBLE; the official solution assigns those four words to ___HEAD, DESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTER, BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA and MOVE UNSTEADILY, respectively.

Overall difficultyThe solution follows the official color order from yellow through purple, with one category at each level.Biggest trapBOBBLE, COBBLE, GOBBLE and WOBBLE share the written ending -OBBLE, but each belongs to a distinct official group.Best first moveStart with SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER and WOBBLE, checking that every word satisfies the literal relationship MOVE UNSTEADILY.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow and green groups depend on direct relationships involving movement and bird onomatopoeia.

The blue group adds HEAD, while the purple group restores the final letter removed from each dessert name.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Separate SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER and WOBBLE first, then listen for the four bird-related sound words. With eight tiles left, add HEAD to four entries and treat the remainder as desserts missing their final letters.

Spoilers below

Today’s groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

MOVE UNSTEADILYReveal this group

What connects SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER and WOBBLE?

SWAY · TODDLE · TOTTER · WOBBLE

MOVE UNSTEADILY. SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER and WOBBLE all satisfy the official relationship MOVE UNSTEADILY.

Best anchor: Focus on the shared movement relationship.

BIRD ONOMATOPOEIAReveal this group

What connects COO, GOBBLE, HONK and WARBLE?

COO · GOBBLE · HONK · WARBLE

BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA. COO, GOBBLE, HONK and WARBLE fit BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA: COO can represent a dove or pigeon cry, GOBBLE a male turkey sound, HONK a goose cry and WARBLE a bird sound.

Best anchor: Read each entry as a represented bird sound.

___HEADReveal this group

What connects BOBBLE, HAMMER, JUG and SLEEPY?

BOBBLE · HAMMER · JUG · SLEEPY

___HEAD. Each word completes the official ___HEAD pattern, producing BOBBLEHEAD, HAMMERHEAD, JUGHEAD and SLEEPYHEAD.

Best anchor: Attach HEAD directly to every selected word.

DESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTERReveal this group

What connects COBBLE, PI, TAR and TORT?

COBBLE · PI · TAR · TORT

DESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTER. The dessert names are recovered by restoring one final letter: COBBLE becomes COBBLER, PI becomes PIE, TAR becomes TART and TORT becomes TORTE.

Best anchor: Restore exactly one letter at the end.

Today’s supporting guides

Why the trickiest words belong together

These focused articles go beyond the answer: they explain the exact relationship, the convincing red herrings and how to recognize the pattern again.

Supporting clue guideWhy SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER and WOBBLE Move UnsteadilyExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow COO, GOBBLE, HONK and WARBLE Represent Bird SoundsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy BOBBLE, HAMMER, JUG and SLEEPY Go Before HEADExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow COBBLE, PI, TAR and TORT Become Dessert NamesExplain this connection Supporting clue guideDefinitions for all 16 puzzle wordsExplain this connection

Browse every Connections clue explainer →

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use today’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    MOVE UNSTEADILY

    Focus on the shared movement relationship.

  2. 2
    BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA

    Read each entry as a represented bird sound.

  3. 3
    ___HEAD

    Attach HEAD directly to every selected word.

  4. 4
    DESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTER

    Restore exactly one letter at the end.

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

Today’s best first move: Start with SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER and WOBBLE, checking that every word satisfies the literal relationship MOVE UNSTEADILY..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

Yellow, the first group in the official color order. groupMOVE UNSTEADILY
MOVE UNSTEADILY: Focus on the shared movement relationship.
Green, the second group in the official color order. groupBIRD ONOMATOPOEIA
BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA: Read each entry as a represented bird sound.
Blue, the third group in the official color order. group___HEAD
___HEAD: Attach HEAD directly to every selected word.
Purple, the fourth group in the official color order. groupDESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTER
DESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTER: Restore exactly one letter at the end.

Questions players ask

Connections help without extra spoilers

I’m stuck. Which hint should I open first?

Start with the small hint for the group you feel closest to solving. Use the stronger hint only if the first nudge is not enough, then reveal the category or four words when you want confirmation.

What should I do when five words seem to belong together?

Assume one is a red herring. Look for the word with a strong second meaning, then test whether it forms a cleaner group elsewhere.

What does “Test a group” do?

Select four words and choose “Check these four” to see whether your grouping works. It stays on this page and never submits a guess to the official puzzle or affects a streak.

Do I need to solve the groups in difficulty order?

No. Start with the clearest exact set. Removing an obvious group often exposes the overlapping meanings and wordplay in the harder groups.

Can I check one answer without spoiling the whole puzzle?

Yes. Every group opens independently, so you can reveal one hint, category or set of four words while keeping the other groups hidden.

About the guide editor

Jordan Ellis

Jordan connects editorial explanations with practice tools, custom puzzles and the site’s future original games.

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