Today’s word-game hints, updated daily
HintCorner

Daily word-game guide

Verified archive for September 23, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1200

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 23, 2026

Connections puzzle #1200 for September 23, 2026 combines a familiar leaving-the-house checklist with website hurdles, canned items and a category based on word endings.

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 23 board comes together

The board moves among a broad everyday relationship, a shared website context, a container-based category and an ending-based construction. Solvers should preserve the wording “things that come in cans,” rather than narrowing it to a particular type of can or dispensing method.

Overall difficultyA mixed-format board combining everyday associations, website vocabulary, containers and ending-based wordplay.Biggest trapSeveral entries invite meaning-based associations, while the final category depends on inspecting the ends of the words or phrases.Best first moveBegin with KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES and WALLET, checking that all four satisfy the broad relationship of things you grab before leaving the house.

Why the board is deceptive

One route starts with the four belongings linked by the act of grabbing them before leaving the house.

After the concrete categories are separated, the remaining four entries resolve through synonyms hidden at their ends.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Secure KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES and WALLET first, then test AGE VERIFICATION, CAPTCHA, COOKIE CONSENT and PAYWALL as website hurdles. Identify the four things that come in cans before examining the remaining endings COIN, LABEL, DUB and 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.

The leaving checklistReveal this group

What connects KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES and WALLET?

KEYS · PHONE · SUNGLASSES · WALLET

THINGS YOU GRAB BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE. KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES and WALLET all fit the category of things you grab before leaving the house.

Best anchor: Picture a final check before stepping outside.

Obstacles on a siteReveal this group

What connects AGE VERIFICATION, CAPTCHA, COOKIE CONSENT and PAYWALL?

AGE VERIFICATION · CAPTCHA · COOKIE CONSENT · PAYWALL

WEBSITE HURDLES. AGE VERIFICATION, CAPTCHA, COOKIE CONSENT and PAYWALL are grouped under the exact relationship WEBSITE HURDLES.

Best anchor: Imagine trying to continue through a website.

Found in cansReveal this group

What connects CONDENSED MILK, PAINT, SHAVING CREAM and SPAM?

CONDENSED MILK · PAINT · SHAVING CREAM · SPAM

THINGS THAT COME IN CANS. CONDENSED MILK, PAINT, SHAVING CREAM and SPAM all satisfy the broad category THINGS THAT COME IN CANS.

Best anchor: Keep the relationship at the level of packaging.

Terms at the endReveal this group

What connects BITCOIN, RECORD LABEL, RUB-A-DUB and SURINAME?

BITCOIN · RECORD LABEL · RUB-A-DUB · SURINAME

ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "TERM". BITCOIN ends in COIN, RECORD LABEL in LABEL, RUB-A-DUB in DUB and SURINAME in NAME; each ending is a synonym for “term.”

Best anchor: Read the final word or syllable of each entry.

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 guideSeptember 23, 2026 Connections: The Leaving-the-House ChecklistExplain this connection Supporting clue guideSeptember 23, 2026 Connections: Website Hurdles ExplainedExplain this connection Supporting clue guideSeptember 23, 2026 Connections: Things That Come in CansExplain this connection Supporting clue guideSeptember 23, 2026 Connections: Endings That Mean “Term”Explain 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
    THINGS YOU GRAB BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE

    Picture a final check before stepping outside.

  2. 2
    WEBSITE HURDLES

    Imagine trying to continue through a website.

  3. 3
    THINGS THAT COME IN CANS

    Keep the relationship at the level of packaging.

  4. 4
    ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "TERM"

    Read the final word or syllable of each entry.

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: Begin with KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES and WALLET, checking that all four satisfy the broad relationship of things you grab before leaving the house..

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.

A concrete relationship that can be tested as a complete four-item set. groupThe leaving checklist
THINGS YOU GRAB BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE: Picture a final check before stepping outside.
A contextual category requiring all four entries to fit the same online setting. groupObstacles on a site
WEBSITE HURDLES: Imagine trying to continue through a website.
A container relationship spanning four different kinds of items. groupFound in cans
THINGS THAT COME IN CANS: Keep the relationship at the level of packaging.
A word-ending pattern that emerges after the meaning-based groups are removed. groupTerms at the end
ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "TERM": Read the final word or syllable of each entry.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideWallet Meaning: The Physical Item and Its Puzzle Use

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

Read the language guide Language guideAge Verification Meaning: The Website-Hurdle Sense

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

Read the language guide Language guideSpam Meaning: Canned Product and Unsolicited Messages

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

Jordan Ellis

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

Read Jordan’s profile →