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Explore the four NYT Connections groups for September 18, 2026, and discover how seemingly unrelated words are linked.
Get color-coded hints for the yellow, green, blue, and purple groups before checking the complete answers.
Identify words connected to stages of a process, food and drink assortments, parts of a flight, and terms that pair with ‘Case.’
Today's NYT Connections puzzle presents a well-balanced grid that ranges from food-related terms to things that are associated with flights to terms related to cases. The September 18 grid not only takes players through terms associated with different aspects of daily life but also tests their knowledge across several categories. Most importantly, the purple group has a twist that will keep players engaged.
Themes are mingling so closely that they actually confuse, and a few words are also roaming around the categories before settling into the right groups. This today's NYT Connections not only clever but also very satisfying for puzzle lovers, from novices to experts.
NYT Connections tasks players with sorting 16 words into four hidden groups. Each group contains four terms linked by meaning or theme. Colors reveal difficulty: yellow for simple categories, green for moderate themes, blue for challenging cultural references, and purple for the most complex wordplay or niche topics. Mistakes are limited, which keeps the challenge tight and engaging. This format explains why Connections remains one of the most popular daily word games today.
STEP, FLIGHT, STAIR, UPPER, BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER, TAKEOFF, BRIEF, PILLOW, PHASE, ROUND, STAGE.
Hints for September 18, 2026
Yellow Group: Think of terms that are associated with steps of a process that we often use in our daily lives.
Green Group: Find terms that are often used when we talk about food.
Blue Group: These are the terms that we often use when we talk about flights.
Purple Group: Think of terms that pairs well with ‘Case.’
Groups One-Word Hint for Each Group
PHASE
MEDLEY
LANDING
UPPER
Answers for September 18
Yellow Group (SEGMENT OF A PROCESS): PHASE, ROUND, STAGE, STEP
Green Group (ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK): FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER
Blue Group (PARTS OF A FLIGHT): BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, TAKEOFF
Purple Group (___CASE): BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR, UPPER
The September 18 edition of NYT Connections strikes a clean balance between food-related terms, parts of a flight and case-related words. The guessing process won’t be complicated for today’s grid, but players will need keen observation skills.
The layout is easier than the previous puzzles presented this month, but the combination of themes still maintains the fun factor. It’s an attractive, neat grid that merges simplicity with allure.
