NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Stuck on Connections puzzle #1186? Each group below starts with a gentle hint. Open a starter word, then the category, and only reveal the full answers when you are ready. Your progress is remembered on this device.
Clues and hints for each group
Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter H.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: BEWILDERING
Show the category
Hard to Understand
Hint: This group is about how the words are built or sound, so look at the letters rather than the meaning.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: MICROBREWERY
Show the category
Words with "Small" Prefixes
Hint: These four are names or titles you may know from culture, sport or the news, so ask what they share.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: ARACHNOPHOBIA
Show the category
Horror Movies
Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter W.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: BRUTE
Show the category
Words Before "Force"
Test your guess
Stuck between two ideas? Pick four words and check them. You will only hear whether it is right, one away, or not a group.
Select four words.
Full answers for puzzle #1186
Reveal all four groups and their words
Hard to Understand
Words with "Small" Prefixes
Horror Movies
Words Before "Force"
More Connections hints
Other Wednesday puzzles
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, September 16, 2026 Puzzle #1193
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Puzzle #1179
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, September 23, 2026 Puzzle #1200
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, August 26, 2026 Puzzle #1172
All puzzles from September 2026 Search the full archive Today's clues Today's answers Strategy guide Colors explained
Questions people ask
How hard is NYT Connections puzzle #1186?
Puzzle #1186 from September 9, 2026 follows the usual pattern: yellow is the gentlest group and purple the trickiest.
How can I get a hint for the September 9, 2026 Connections puzzle without spoilers?
Every group on this page opens with a one-line hint. One word from the group and then the category name sit behind separate buttons, and the full answers stay hidden until you open them.
When does the new Connections puzzle come out?
A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight in your local time zone. We usually publish the next puzzle's hints the evening before, US time, so they are ready when your grid refreshes. See today's hints →
How many mistakes are you allowed in Connections?
You have four mistakes. The fourth wrong guess ends the game, so you can safely miss three times. If the game says you are "one away", three of your four words are correct.
Where can I find yesterday's Connections answers?
Open the Yesterday page for the previous puzzle, or search the archive by date, puzzle number, word or category. Yesterday's hints →