Connections Hint
Puzzle #1191 · September 14, 2026

NYT Connections Hints for September 14, 2026

Start with the spoiler-free hints. Go deeper only when you need to. Reveal answers on your own terms.

Monday, September 14, 2026
Get the hintsSpoiler-free · three levels ↓ Skip to answersJust give me the solution →
Today’s 16 Puzzle Words
Tap any word to see how it’s used in this puzzle
BAGSTOOLIESTRAWGOOSECRABBLUERATLEMONSTIRRERTEALWHEATCOOTSNITCHLOONCANARYCUTLERY

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • Wetland, feathery energy—think paddle and glide.
  • Whispery, tell-all energy links these four.
  • One-time, grab-and-go energy binds these words.
  • An invisible bond links these four—look beyond their usual senses.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • Think of avian species associated with lakes and wetlands.
  • This is slang, not literal—criminal or courtroom vocabulary might help.
  • These are disposable conveniences you might find at a coffee shop.
  • The link is a shared word that can trail each of these.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • All four are aquatic birds—focus on species that paddle or wade rather than perch.
  • All four are slang for someone who tells on others to authorities.
  • These are all disposable items from takeout settings—think quick, single-use conveniences.
  • Each word can form a common plant name by adding the same five-letter suffix—focus on what follows.

Today’s Trap Words

The words engineered to mislead

Every Connections board plants a few decoys. Here are today’s, and why they pull you the wrong way.

CANARY

A bird word that seems to fit with the waterfowl, but it belongs to an entirely different set of names.

TEAL

Equally a duck and a blue-green shade; color-hunters may yank it out of its correct group.

BLUE

A color that looks like a partner for TEAL and LEMON, yet it works by forming a common compound word.

RAT

An animal term that could be sorted with CRAB or other creatures, but here it's a slang label.

Connections Answers — September 14, 2026

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
WATERBIRDS
COOT · TEAL · LOON · GOOSE
Tap to reveal
INFORMANT
CANARY · RAT · SNITCH · STOOLIE
Tap to reveal
COMMON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEMS
STRAW · BAG · CUTLERY · STIRRER
Tap to reveal
___GRASS
CRAB · LEMON · BLUE · WHEAT
Tap to reveal
SEE ALSO:
NYT Wordle hints for September 14, 2026 NYT Pips hints for September 14, 2026 NYT Strands hints for September 14, 2026

Category Breakdown — Puzzle #1191

Why each group works — not just what it is

WATERBIRDS

COOT, GOOSE, LOON, and TEAL are all birds tied to aquatic habitats. The trick is resisting the urge to place CANARY here just because it's a bird.

INFORMANT

CANARY, RAT, SNITCH, and STOOLIE are all labels for someone who gives information, often to authorities. The animal words disguise a criminal-slang group.

COMMON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEMS

BAG, CUTLERY, STIRRER, and STRAW are disposable items, typically plastic, found in takeout and fast-food settings. Their concreteness provides a quick, satisfying solve.

___GRASS

BLUE, CRAB, LEMON, and WHEAT each can precede GRASS to form common grass or grass-like plant names. The shared suffix is invisible until you consider what could follow each word.

Word Guide — All 16 Puzzle Words

What each word means in this puzzle
BAG
A flexible container with an opening at the top, used for carrying everything from groceries to garbage.
STOOLIE
Dated American slang for a police informant, from the image of someone sitting on a stool and spilling secrets.
STRAW
A thin tube for sipping beverages, but also dried grain stalks used as bedding or fodder.
GOOSE
A large long-necked waterfowl often seen in flocks; as a verb, to poke or prod someone playfully.
CRAB
A clawed crustacean that walks sideways; as a verb, to complain or grumble in a grouchy way.
BLUE
One of the three primary colors, associated with clear skies and calm; also used informally to describe a sad or melancholy mood.
RAT
A long-tailed rodent; in underworld slang, a person who betrays or informs on friends under pressure.
LEMON
A sour yellow citrus fruit; informally, a newly purchased item—especially a car—that keeps malfunctioning.
STIRRER
A slender utensil used to mix coffee or cocktails; in British slang, a person who deliberately provokes or agitates trouble.
TEAL
A small dabbling duck and a dark cyan shade; the color meaning often pulls solvers away from its bird identity.
WHEAT
A widely grown cereal grain used around the world to make flour, bread, and many staple foods.
COOT
An eccentric water bird with a dark body, white facial shield, and lobed feet; historically, 'coot' was also a mild insult for a foolish person.
SNITCH
Slang for an informer or tattler, especially someone who reports others' misdeeds to people in charge.
LOON
A fish-eating diving bird known for its eerie, yodeling call; informally, a person seen as eccentric or unhinged.
CANARY
A small yellow songbird; in criminal and police contexts, someone who gives information to authorities.
CUTLERY
A collective term for knives, forks, and spoons; often supplied as disposable utensils with takeout meals.

Puzzle Design Analysis

Why the editor constructed it this way

Wyna Liu seeds the board with five bird terms, so solvers must peel off a singing snitch before locking in waterfowl. Color language—TEAL, BLUE, LEMON—creates a false palette, while CANARY and RAT drag animal instincts into criminal slang. The disposable plastics stay obvious as a texture contrast. WHEAT, CRAB, LEMON, and BLUE hide a botanical suffix that rewards backward thinking.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
5.8/10
Most deceptive
CANARY

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
___GRASS

requires lateral thinking

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