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Verified archive for September 16, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1193

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 16, 2026

Connections #1193 for September 16, 2026 mixes visible prefixes and suffixes with names and letter-addition wordplay. Tracking exact spellings is more productive than forcing the entries into broad subject areas.

Guide editorMaya BrooksSenior Editor

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 16 board works

The verified source credits Wyna Liu as editor. The tone values below are display metadata; the solving comments describe the literal category relationships without assigning official difficulty rankings.

Overall difficultyThe board rewards close inspection of word beginnings, endings, and internal letter additions rather than reliance on surface meanings alone.Biggest trapRecognizable names and ordinary terms may invite meaning-based sets, but several official relationships depend on exact letter sequences.Best first moveInspect the beginnings of DIMENSION, NICKELODEON, PENNYWISE, and QUARTERBACK: each starts with the exact name of a U.S. coin.

Why the board is deceptive

Two categories can be found by checking whether familiar words appear intact at the beginnings or endings of entries.

The remaining categories require recognizing poets’ middle names and identifying sausage names with one additional letter.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Begin with the four U.S. coin prefixes, then test the remaining entries for metal-element endings. With those eight removed, separate the poets’ middle names from the four entries formed by adding a letter to a sausage name.

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.

Metal names at the endReveal this group

What connects LATIN, LONG JOHN SILVER, MARIGOLD and STEAM IRON?

LATIN · LONG JOHN SILVER · MARIGOLD · STEAM IRON

ENDING IN METAL ELEMENTS. LATIN ends in TIN, LONG JOHN SILVER ends in SILVER, MARIGOLD ends in GOLD, and STEAM IRON ends in IRON.

Best anchor: The metal name is the ending of every complete entry.

Coin names at the startReveal this group

What connects DIMENSION, NICKELODEON, PENNYWISE and QUARTERBACK?

DIMENSION · NICKELODEON · PENNYWISE · QUARTERBACK

STARTING WITH U.S. COINS. DIMENSION starts with DIME, NICKELODEON with NICKEL, PENNYWISE with PENNY, and QUARTERBACK with QUARTER.

Best anchor: Each complete entry begins with a U.S. coin name.

Middle names belonging to poetsReveal this group

What connects BARRETT, CARLOS, ST. VINCENT and WADSWORTH?

BARRETT · CARLOS · ST. VINCENT · WADSWORTH

POETS' MIDDLE NAMES. BARRETT, CARLOS, ST. VINCENT, and WADSWORTH share the verified relationship POETS' MIDDLE NAMES.

Best anchor: Read every entry specifically as a poet’s middle name.

Sausage names with one extra letterReveal this group

What connects BORAT, CLINK, FRANK-N-FURTER and WIDENER?

BORAT · CLINK · FRANK-N-FURTER · WIDENER

SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER. Removing one added letter yields BRAT from BORAT, LINK from CLINK, FRANKFURTER from FRANK-N-FURTER, and WIENER from WIDENER.

Best anchor: Each spelling contains a sausage name plus one letter.

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 guideENDING IN METAL ELEMENTS explained for Connections #1193Explain this connection Supporting clue guideSTARTING WITH U.S. COINS explained for Connections #1193Explain this connection Supporting clue guidePOETS' MIDDLE NAMES explained for Connections #1193Explain this connection Supporting clue guideSAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER explained for Connections #1193Explain 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
    ENDING IN METAL ELEMENTS

    The metal name is the ending of every complete entry.

  2. 2
    STARTING WITH U.S. COINS

    Each complete entry begins with a U.S. coin name.

  3. 3
    POETS' MIDDLE NAMES

    Read every entry specifically as a poet’s middle name.

  4. 4
    SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER

    Each spelling contains a sausage name plus one letter.

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: Inspect the beginnings of DIMENSION, NICKELODEON, PENNYWISE, and QUARTERBACK: each starts with the exact name of a U.S. coin..

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.

Look at the final letters or final word of each entry rather than asking what the full entry denotes. groupMetal names at the end
ENDING IN METAL ELEMENTS: The metal name is the ending of every complete entry.
The relationship becomes visible when each entry is read from its first letter forward. groupCoin names at the start
STARTING WITH U.S. COINS: Each complete entry begins with a U.S. coin name.
Solving this set requires treating each entry as a name component under the source’s stated relationship. groupMiddle names belonging to poets
POETS' MIDDLE NAMES: Read every entry specifically as a poet’s middle name.
Compare each spelling with a sausage name and account for exactly one added letter. groupSausage names with one extra letter
SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER: Each spelling contains a sausage name plus one letter.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

These independent language explainers add definition, origin or usage context where it genuinely helps.

Language guideMarigold Meaning: Symbolism, Context, and Connections Wordplay

Go deeper on this word or phrase without duplicating the puzzle explanation.

Read the language guide Language guideNickelodeon Meaning: Early Theaters, the Channel, and Wordplay

Go deeper on this word or phrase without duplicating the puzzle explanation.

Read the language guide Language guidePennywise Meaning: Small-Sum Prudence, a Proper Name, and Wordplay

Go deeper on this word or phrase without duplicating the puzzle explanation.

Read the language guide

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

Maya Brooks

Maya focuses on exact category logic, ambiguous overlaps and hints that help without giving the group away.

Read Maya’s profile →