Need a little help with today’s NYT Connections puzzle? You’ve come to the right place.
Puzzle #1195 for September 18, 2026 has a clever little trap hiding in plain sight. One of the 16 words seems like an obvious fit for one category, but it actually belongs somewhere completely different.
We’ll start with the hints so you can take another shot at the puzzle yourself. The full answers are further down if you’re ready to check the solution.
What Is NYT Connections?
Connections is The New York Times’ daily word puzzle where you have to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Each group has something in common, but figuring out exactly what that connection is can be surprisingly tricky.
Some categories jump out immediately. Others are built to make you second-guess yourself, and today’s puzzle definitely falls into the second camp.
Today’s Connections Words
Here are all 16 words from puzzle #1195, shuffled into random order:
BOARDING, BRIEF, CRUISE, FLIGHT, LANDING, MEDLEY, PHASE, PILLOW, PLATTER, ROUND, SAMPLER, STAGE, STAIR, STEP, TAKEOFF, UPPER
NYT Connections Hints for September 18
Need a little help without seeing the answers? Try these hints first.
- Yellow: Think about different parts of an airplane trip.
- Green: These words can each describe one part or section of a larger process.
- Blue: Add “case” to the end of each word and you’ll get a familiar term.
- Purple: Think about collections or assortments of food and drinks.
The purple category is where things get sneaky. One word looks like it belongs with the airplane-related terms, but it actually fits the food and drink group.
Today’s NYT Connections Answers
Parts of a Flight
BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, TAKEOFF
These words describe different parts of an airplane journey. You board the plane, cruise at altitude, and eventually land after takeoff.
Segment of a Process
PHASE, STAGE, STEP, ROUND
Each of these words can describe one part of a larger process. A project can have phases and stages, while a plan can move through different steps or rounds.
___Case
BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR, UPPER
Add “case” to each word and you get a familiar word or phrase:
- BRIEF + CASE = BRIEFCASE
- PILLOW + CASE = PILLOWCASE
- STAIR + CASE = STAIRCASE
- UPPER + CASE = UPPERCASE
This one is much easier once you spot the pattern.
Assortments of Food or Drink
FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER
This is the category that can really throw you off.
FLIGHT looks like an obvious match for the airplane group, but it has another meaning. A beer or wine flight is a selection of different drinks served together for tasting.
That makes it a natural match for MEDLEY, PLATTER, and SAMPLER, which can all describe collections or assortments of food and drinks.
Quick Connection Answers Recap
- Parts of a Flight – BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, TAKEOFF
- Segment of a Process – PHASE, STAGE, STEP, ROUND
- ___Case – BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR, UPPER
- Assortments of Food or Drink – FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER
Why Today’s Puzzle Was Tricky
The biggest trap is FLIGHT.
At first glance, it seems almost impossible not to put it with BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, and TAKEOFF. After all, every one of those words immediately makes you think of air travel.
But Connections loves exactly this kind of misdirection.
Once you realize that FLIGHT can also mean a tasting selection of beers or wines, the purple group starts to make sense. That double meaning is what makes this grid much harder than it first appears.
So, if you put FLIGHT into the airplane group on your first attempt, you definitely weren’t alone.
How NYT Connections Works
If you’re new to Connections, the rules are pretty simple.
You get 16 words and need to divide them into four groups of four. Each group shares a hidden connection, and you have to find all four groups before running out of guesses.
You can make up to four mistakes before the puzzle ends.
The categories are also color-coded by difficulty:
Yellow is usually the easiest.
Green is a little more challenging.
Blue tends to require more thought.
Purple is usually the trickiest, often relying on wordplay, alternate meanings, or a less obvious connection.
A new Connections puzzle arrives every day, and you can play it through the NYT Games website.
Final Thoughts
Today’s puzzle is a good example of why Connections rewards patience. The most obvious grouping isn’t always the correct one, and FLIGHT is the perfect example.
Before locking in a category that looks perfect, it’s worth checking whether one of the words could have another meaning. That extra few seconds can be the difference between keeping your streak alive and starting over tomorrow.
Check back tomorrow for the next NYT Connections hints and answers, and visit GamerUrge for daily coverage of Connections, Wordle, gaming news, guides, and more.
