NYT Connections Game #1205 for September 28 serves up a board with a few familiar-looking words and some less obvious links.
Plant stalks make a natural starting point, but the trickiest set asks you to spot a pattern hiding inside longer words.
SPOILER WARNING: The answers to today’s Connections puzzle are below. Scroll on only if you’re ready to see them.
Today’s NYT Connections words
Here are the 16 words on today’s board:
- CHIHUAHUA | LEMON | VIPER | BAMBOO
- CELERY | TABASCO | ARKANSANS | DURANGO
- SPRINGING | CHARGER | HORSERADISH | WHEAT
- POSSESSES | MIGNONETTE | CORN | CHALLENGER
Today’s NYT Connections hints
Need a nudge without giving the game away? Try these:
- 🟡 Yellow: Look for four things whose useful parts grow in long, narrow forms.
- 🟢 Green: These four additions can be served alongside a particular shellfish.
- 🔵 Blue: These names can all be found in a car showroom, though one has a very different animal reading.
- 🟣 Purple: Look for longer words containing the same three-letter sequence twice.
Today’s NYT Connections group titles
- 🟡 Yellow: THINGS WITH STALKS
- 🟢 Green: OYSTER CONDIMENTS
- 🔵 Blue: DODGE MODELS
- 🟣 Purple: THREE LETTERS PLUS REPEATED TRIGRAMS
What are today’s NYT Connections answers?
Here are all four groups and their words:
| Colour | Group | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 Yellow | THINGS WITH STALKS | BAMBOO, CELERY, CORN, WHEAT |
| 🟢 Green | OYSTER CONDIMENTS | HORSERADISH, LEMON, MIGNONETTE, TABASCO |
| 🔵 Blue | DODGE MODELS | CHALLENGER, CHARGER, DURANGO, VIPER |
| 🟣 Purple | THREE LETTERS PLUS REPEATED TRIGRAMS | ARKANSANS, CHIHUAHUA, POSSESSES, SPRINGING |
Today’s Connections — expert analysis
The stalk group is the safest entry point: BAMBOO, CELERY, CORN and WHEAT make a clean set once you focus on the plants rather than their other uses. From there, HORSERADISH, LEMON, MIGNONETTE and TABASCO fit together as oyster condiments, while CHALLENGER, CHARGER, DURANGO and VIPER are all DODGE MODELS.
Purple is the hardest set because its repeated three-letter sequences are tucked inside longer words: ARKANSANS, CHIHUAHUA, POSSESSES and SPRINGING. The board’s surface meanings can distract: VIPER reads as a snake, CHARGER has other familiar meanings, and LEMON looks like it might belong with the plant words. If you’re stuck, lock in the stalks first; it gives you a safe guess without requiring you to spot the hidden letter pattern.
Difficulty: 3.5/5 — the clear stalk set is balanced by a subtle repeated-trigram finish.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Game #1204)
Here’s a look back at yesterday’s four groups:
- 🟡 Yellow (SCULPTURE MEDIA): BRONZE, CLAY, MARBLE, PLASTER
- 🟢 Green (RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS): BANQUETTE, BOOTH, CHAIR, STOOL
- 🔵 Blue (TELECOM): CARRIER, NETWORK, OPERATOR, PROVIDER
- 🟣 Purple (ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES): BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN, WU-TANG
What is NYT Connections?
Connections is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times. The board has 16 words, which you sort into four groups of four based on a shared connection.
Each group has its own difficulty level, from yellow (easiest) through green and blue to purple (hardest).
How to play NYT Connections
- Select four words you think share a connection and submit your guess.
- If all four words belong together, they are removed from the board and their group is revealed.
- You have four mistakes available, so look for overlaps and misleading meanings before committing.
- Find all four groups to win.
Past week’s NYT Connections answers
Missed a day? Full solutions from earlier this week, newest first.
Game #1203 — September 26
- 🟡 BREATH FRESHENERS: GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY
- 🟢 THINGS DONE TO A DRESS SHIRT AT THE LAUNDRY: FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH
- 🔵 FEATURES OF WOOD: BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS
- 🟣 “COOL” THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS: BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER
Game #1202 — September 25
- 🟡 LUXE: BOUGIE, FANCY, POSH, SWANK
- 🟢 PARTS OF A MECHANICAL CLOCK: ESCAPEMENT, PENDULUM, RATCHET, SPRING
- 🔵 FAMOUS DANS: AYKROYD, LEVY, RATHER, SAVAGE
- 🟣 TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER: BORDER, CLASSY, FOAMILY, GENIUS
Game #1201 — September 24
- 🟡 PARTS OF A VAMPIRE COSTUME: CAPE, FACE PAINT, FAKE BLOOD, FANGS
- 🟢 THINGS WITH SPRING/S: BOBBLEHEAD, POGO STICK, SNAKES IN A CAN, TRAMPOLINE
- 🔵 FEATURING POINTING: CREATION OF ADAM, FOAM FINGER, I’M WITH STUPID SHIRT, UNCLE SAM
- 🟣 ANAGRAMS: BEER HAT, BREATHE, HERB TEA, THE BEAR
Game #1200 — September 23
- 🟡 THINGS YOU GRAB BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE: KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES, WALLET
- 🟢 WEBSITE HURDLES: AGE VERIFICATION, CAPTCHA, COOKIE CONSENT, PAYWALL
- 🔵 THINGS THAT COME IN CANS: CONDENSED MILK, PAINT, SHAVING CREAM, SPAM
- 🟣 ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR “TERM”: BITCOIN, RECORD LABEL, RUB-A-DUB, SURINAME
Game #1199 — September 22
- 🟡 DEMONSTRATIVES: THAT, THESE, THIS, THOSE
- 🟢 EMBELLISHMENT: ACCENT, DETAIL, FLOURISH, TOUCH
- 🔵 OPTIONS ON A MULTIPLE CHOICE SURVEY: AGREE, DISAGREE, NEUTRAL, OTHER
- 🟣 BEVERAGES WITH ACUTE ACCENTS REMOVED: CAFE, PATRON, ROSE, THE
Game #1198 — September 21
- 🟡 EMAIL BUTTONS: COMPOSE, DRAFTS, SENT, SPAM
- 🟢 WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH: CHUM, FLY, SPINNER, WORM
- 🔵 CHESS VERBS: CAPTURE, CASTLE, CHECK, MATE
- 🟣 STARTS OF COMPOSERS’ NAMES: BEET, BRAH, CHOP, VIVA
More daily puzzle help from HashTechWave
- Today’s NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers
- Today’s NYT Spelling Bee answers and pangram
- Today’s Wordle hints, clues and answer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle unlock?
A brand-new puzzle drops every single night at midnight local time across your specific region’s time zone on NYT Connection official site.
Why do some words seem to fit into two different groups?
The puzzle is specifically designed to include “decoys” or overlapping vocabulary. Always look for a backup configuration of words before locking in an early guess to protect your attempt counter.
Can I review answers to older puzzles?
Yes — we keep the past week of solutions right here on this page. Scroll up to the “Past week’s NYT Connections answers” section for every recent grid, newest first, plus a full breakdown of yesterday’s puzzle.
