Today’s puzzle features words describing unsteady movement, bird onomatopoeia, words that can follow ‘head,’ and desserts minus their final letters.
Several words can appear to fit more than one category, making the groups tricky to identify.
Players can use the hints below before checking the complete answers and spoilers.
The New York Times Connections puzzle for September 6, 2026, asks players to divide 16 words into four groups of four based on hidden connections. Today’s categories include unsteady movement, bird onomatopoeia, words that can follow ‘head,’ and desserts minus their last letters.
The board includes several words that can create misleading connections, making it harder to identify the intended groups at first glance.
Players looking for a little help before seeing the answers can use these category clues:
Yellow Group – license to kill
Green Group – go look at your laptop or desktop
Blue Group – FYI, it’s the beginning of the two words that matters
Purple Group – the unifier is in the second of the two words here
These clues point towards the four categories without immediately revealing every answer.
For players who need an extra push, one word from each category can help reveal the intended connections.
Yellow Group – blank check
Green Group – card slot
Blue Group – atm machine
Purple Group – court scribe
The four groups in today’s puzzle are:
Yellow Group – unrestricted permission
Green Group – places to insert something into on a computer
Blue Group – abbreviations followed by redundant word
Purple Group – ending with ways to carve a surface
Yellow Group – blank check, carte blanche, free rein, full authority
Green Group – card slot, headphone jack, optical drive, usb port
Blue Group – atm machine, lcd display, pin number, upc code
Purple Group – court scribe, director’s cut, pizza slice, sat score
The NYT Connections uses wordplay alongside straightforward associations. Words such as ‘WOBBLE,’ ‘BOBBLE,’ and ‘TOTT’.