Sunday’s NYT Connections puzzle has a little bit of everything: tech terms, familiar phrases, redundant abbreviations, and some clever wordplay.
If you’ve been staring at the 16-word grid without seeing the connections, don’t worry. We’ve got the hints you need to solve puzzle #1183, followed by the full answers if you need them.
The best approach is to start with the hints below and only scroll to the answers when you’re ready.
Quick Connections Answer Recap
Yellow: Unrestricted Permission
Blank check, Carte blanche, Free rein, Full authority
Green: Places to Insert Something Into on a Computer
Card slot, Headphone jack, Optical drive, USB port
Blue: Abbreviations Followed by a Redundant Word
ATM machine, LCD display, PIN number, UPC code
Purple: Ending With Ways to Carve a Surface
Court scribe, Director’s cut, Pizza slice, SAT score
What Is NYT Connections?
Connections is The New York Times’ daily word game where you’re given 16 words and asked to divide them into four groups of four. Each group has something in common, but the game loves throwing in words that could seemingly fit into multiple categories.
The groups are also color-coded by difficulty:
- Yellow is usually the easiest
- Green is a little more challenging
- Blue tends to be more abstract
- Purple is typically the trickiest and often involves wordplay
You get only four incorrect guesses, so don’t rush into submitting a group just because four words seem to fit. There’s usually a catch.
NYT Connections Hints for September 6, 2026
Need a little help without completely spoiling the puzzle? Try these clues first.
- Yellow hint: Think of phrases that mean you have permission to do something without any restrictions or conditions.
- Green hint: Think about the places on a computer where you can connect or insert another device.
- Blue hint: These phrases contain an abbreviation followed by a word that is already included in the abbreviation’s full meaning.
- Purple hint: Ignore what the full phrases mean. Instead, focus on their final words. Each one can describe a way of marking, cutting, or carving a surface.
Still stuck? The complete answers are below.
NYT Connections Answers for September 6, 2026
Yellow: Unrestricted Permission
- Blank check
- Carte blanche
- Free rein
- Full authority
All four phrases describe giving someone complete freedom or permission to act without restrictions.
“Carte blanche” literally translates from French to “blank card,” and it’s commonly used to describe having complete freedom to make decisions.
Green: Places to Insert Something Into on a Computer
- Card slot
- Headphone jack
- Optical drive
- USB port
This group is much easier once you spot the computer connection. Each one refers to a place or component used to insert, connect, or read something on a computer.
A USB port and headphone jack are obvious examples, while card slots and optical drives are a little more specific.
Blue: Abbreviations Followed by a Redundant Word
- ATM machine
- LCD display
- PIN number
- UPC code
This category is built around phrases that repeat part of what the abbreviation already means.
For example, ATM stands for “automated teller machine,” so saying “ATM machine” essentially repeats the word “machine.” Likewise, PIN already includes “number” in “personal identification number,” making “PIN number” redundant.
The same trick applies to LCD display and UPC code.
Purple: Ending With Ways to Carve a Surface
- Court scribe
- Director’s cut
- Pizza slice
- SAT score
The trick here is to focus on the last word rather than the meaning of the complete phrase.
“Scribe,” “cut,” “slice,” and “score” can all refer to ways of marking, cutting, or making an impression on a surface. The phrases themselves are deliberately unrelated, which makes this group particularly sneaky.
Why Today’s Puzzle Is Tricky
The blue and purple groups are probably where most players will lose a guess.
The blue category hides its connection behind common phrases that sound perfectly normal. “ATM machine” and “PIN number” are phrases people use all the time, so it’s easy to overlook the fact that they’re technically repetitive.
The purple group takes a different approach. Instead of looking at what the four phrases have in common, you need to examine their endings. That’s a classic Connections move and one that’s easy to miss when you’re focused on the full phrases.
The yellow group is comparatively straightforward, although “carte blanche” might throw you off if you’re not familiar with the expression.
Final Thoughts
Connections #1183 is a good example of why you shouldn’t lock in a group too quickly. The puzzle starts with some familiar phrases and computer terms, then gets increasingly tricky with redundant abbreviations and wordplay.
If the purple category gave you trouble, you’re definitely not alone. Those last-word connections can be some of the hardest to spot.
For more NYT Connections hints and answers, along with gaming news, guides, codes, and other daily puzzle coverage, keep checking back with GamerUrge.
