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Verified archive for September 18, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1195

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 18, 2026

Connections #1195 for September 18, 2026 asks solvers to separate process segments, food or drink assortments, flight parts and words completed by CASE.

Guide editorSofia RamirezEditor

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Take one step at a time

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

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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 18 board resolves

Keep FLIGHT separate from the group named PARTS OF A FLIGHT. Its verified role on this board is within ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK.

Overall difficultyThe board mixes process language, aviation vocabulary, assortment terms and words that accept the same ending, leaving several plausible early associations.Biggest trapFLIGHT may appear to fit beside TAKEOFF, CRUISE and LANDING. In the verified solution, however, FLIGHT belongs with the food-and-drink assortment terms, while BOARDING completes the flight-parts group.Best first moveTest BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR and UPPER with CASE. The resulting completions provide a four-word set without requiring any change to the board words.

Why the board is deceptive

Several entries can evoke travel or sequences, so an initial association may include too many words to form a valid group of four.

The clean route is to secure the shared-ending set, distinguish FLIGHT from the flight-part terms, and then divide the remaining process and assortment words.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Begin with the four CASE completions. Next, reserve BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING and TAKEOFF as parts of a flight. FLIGHT then joins MEDLEY, PLATTER and SAMPLER, leaving the four process-segment words.

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.

Process divisionsReveal this group

What connects PHASE, ROUND, STAGE and STEP?

PHASE · ROUND · STAGE · STEP

SEGMENT OF A PROCESS. PHASE, ROUND, STAGE and STEP can each name a segment of a process, which is the exact relationship required by the category.

Best anchor: A portion within a larger process

Selections to sample or shareReveal this group

What connects FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER and SAMPLER?

FLIGHT · MEDLEY · PLATTER · SAMPLER

ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK. FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER and SAMPLER fit the verified category ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK without requiring the four terms to name the same format.

Best anchor: Several food or drink selections together

Flight sequence vocabularyReveal this group

What connects BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING and TAKEOFF?

BOARDING · CRUISE · LANDING · TAKEOFF

PARTS OF A FLIGHT. BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING and TAKEOFF are the four entries grouped under the verified relationship PARTS OF A FLIGHT.

Best anchor: Points within an air journey

Words before CASEReveal this group

What connects BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR and UPPER?

BRIEF · PILLOW · STAIR · UPPER

___CASE. Adding CASE to BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR and UPPER produces BRIEFCASE, PILLOWCASE, STAIRCASE and UPPERCASE.

Best anchor: One shared ending completes all four

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 guideHow PHASE, ROUND, STAGE and STEP Form a Process GroupExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER and SAMPLER Are AssortmentsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING and TAKEOFF Map to a FlightExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR and UPPER Complete ___CASEExplain 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
    SEGMENT OF A PROCESS

    A portion within a larger process

  2. 2
    ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK

    Several food or drink selections together

  3. 3
    PARTS OF A FLIGHT

    Points within an air journey

  4. 4
    ___CASE

    One shared ending completes all four

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: Test BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR and UPPER with CASE. The resulting completions provide a four-word set without requiring any change to the board words..

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.

The four words share broad process language, though each can also appear in unrelated contexts. groupProcess divisions
SEGMENT OF A PROCESS: A portion within a larger process
Food associations help, but the relationship is assortments rather than one particular dish or serving format. groupSelections to sample or share
ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK: Several food or drink selections together
FLIGHT itself creates a possible overlap, but the category requires four parts rather than the name of the whole journey. groupFlight sequence vocabulary
PARTS OF A FLIGHT: Points within an air journey
The relationship depends on appending the same four-letter word to every entry. groupWords before CASE
___CASE: One shared ending completes all four

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guidePhase Meaning: Definition, Usage, and Connections Context

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

Read the language guide Language guideFlight Meaning: Travel, Movement, and the Puzzle’s Assortment Sense

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

Read the language guide Language guideSampler Meaning: Examples, Multiple Senses, and Puzzle Context

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

Sofia Ramirez

Sofia verifies puzzle dates, public numbers, source facts and the archive details that keep daily guides reliable.

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