Stuck on today’s NYT Connections puzzle? You’re definitely not the only one. Connections #1191 has a few sneaky overlaps that can easily send you down the wrong path, especially when certain words seem to fit more than one group.
If you’re still trying to solve it yourself, don’t worry. I’ve put the hints first, followed by the complete answers further down. That way, you can stop reading as soon as you get the nudge you need.
What Is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times. Each puzzle gives you 16 words, and your job is to divide them into four groups of four based on a shared connection.
The four categories are represented by different colors:
- Yellow: The easiest group
- Green: A little more challenging
- Blue: More difficult
- Purple: Usually the trickiest, often involving wordplay
You can make up to four mistakes before the puzzle ends. Once you find three groups, the final four words can often be solved through elimination.
Connections is available through the NYT Games website and app.
Today’s Connections Words for September 14, 2026
Here are all 16 words in today’s Connections puzzle, #1191:
STRAW, CRAB, COOT, LEMON, BLUE, CANARY, TEAL, RAT, LOON, BAG, WHEAT, CUTLERY, SNITCH, GOOSE, STIRRER, STOOLIE
A few of these words are deliberately misleading. Several can make you think you’ve found a category when they actually belong somewhere else.
NYT Connections Hints for September 14
Want a little help without seeing the answers? Try these hints first:
- Yellow: Think of birds commonly associated with water.
- Green: These words can describe someone who informs on another person.
- Blue: Think of everyday things that are commonly used once and discarded.
- Purple: Add the same word to each of these words to create terms related to a type of grass.
One of the biggest traps involves TEAL, CANARY, and BLUE. They can all point your thinking in different directions, which makes it easy to lock in the wrong group too early.
NYT Connections Answers Today: Puzzle #1191
Ready for the solution? Here are all four categories and the words that belong to each one.
Yellow: Waterbirds
COOT, GOOSE, LOON, TEAL
These are all birds associated with water.
TEAL is particularly sneaky because it is also the name of a color. In this puzzle, however, it refers to the teal, a type of duck.
Green: Informant
CANARY, RAT, SNITCH, STOOLIE
These are all terms used for someone who informs on or betrays another person, particularly by giving information to authorities.
CANARY is the trap here. Seeing it alongside words like COOT, GOOSE, LOON, and TEAL can make the bird connection look obvious.
Blue: Common Single-Use Plastic Items
BAG, CUTLERY, STIRRER, STRAW
These are all commonly associated with disposable, single-use plastic products.
Straws, plastic cutlery, bags, and drink stirrers are familiar everyday items, although many places have introduced restrictions on some of them because of environmental concerns.
Purple: ___Grass
BLUE, CRAB, LEMON, WHEAT
Add GRASS to each word and you get:
- Bluegrass
- Crabgrass
- Lemongrass
- Wheatgrass
This is the purple group, and it’s probably the category that takes the longest to spot.
Quick Connections Answer Recap
- Yellow: Waterbirds – COOT, GOOSE, LOON, TEAL
- Green: Informant – CANARY, RAT, SNITCH, STOOLIE
- Blue: Common Single-Use Plastic Items – BAG, CUTLERY, STIRRER, STRAW
- Purple: ___Grass – BLUE, CRAB, LEMON, WHEAT
Why Today’s Connections Puzzle Is Tricky
The real challenge in puzzle #1191 comes from the overlapping clues.
TEAL looks like it should be connected to colors, but it belongs with the waterbirds. CANARY immediately suggests a bird, yet it is actually part of the informant group. Then there’s BLUE, which looks like another obvious color word but belongs in the ___GRASS category.
That sort of misdirection is what makes Connections fun. The words aren’t necessarily difficult on their own. The trick is figuring out which apparent connection is actually the one the puzzle is looking for.
Once you notice BLUE, CRAB, LEMON, and WHEAT can all be followed by “grass,” the final category becomes much easier to identify.
Tips for Solving NYT Connections Faster
If you regularly get stuck on Connections, a few habits can make a big difference:
- Start with the strongest connection. You don’t always have to solve the yellow group first.
- Look for words with multiple meanings. These are often deliberately placed to distract you.
- Don’t lock in a group too quickly. If a word fits another possible category, take another look before submitting.
- Think about word combinations. The purple category frequently relies on prefixes, suffixes, phrases, or another word being added.
- Use elimination carefully. Once you’ve confidently solved three groups, the remaining four words should reveal the final category.
Final Thoughts
Today’s Connections puzzle is a good example of how a few misleading words can make an otherwise straightforward grid feel much harder.
CANARY pretending to be a bird and TEAL doubling as a color are the biggest traps, while the ___GRASS category provides the final twist.
If you managed to solve #1191 without checking the answers, nice work. And if you got caught by one of those misleading words, don’t feel bad. That’s exactly what the puzzle was designed to do.
Check back tomorrow for the next NYT Connections hints and answers, and visit GamerUrge for more daily gaming news, guides, and puzzle help.
