The NYT Connections puzzle for September 27, 2026, is number 1204. This daily word-grouping game, designed by New York Times associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, requires players to find the hidden links between sixteen words by organizing them into four distinct categories.
Today’s puzzle offers a mix of industrial terminology and creative linguistic wordplay. If you are stuck on a specific group or looking for a way to narrow down the remaining tiles, these hints will help guide you toward the solution.
Connections Hints for September 27
Before revealing the full categories, consider these clues for each color-coded group:
- Yellow: These are all materials a physical artist might use to create a 3D object.
- Green: Places you might sit while waiting for a meal at a bistro or diner.
- Blue: Terms commonly used in the telecommunications and service industry.
- Purple: Focus on the final few letters of these words; they all hide a specific historical empire.
If you are looking for a more direct push, keep in mind that “Banquette” is a specific type of long, upholstered bench often found in restaurants. For the purple category, pay close attention to how “BBQing” and “Wu-Tang” are spelled.
SPOILER WARNING
The answers for NYT Connections #1204 follow below. Stop reading now if you intend to solve the puzzle on your own.
Connections Answers for September 27, #1204
Yellow: Sculpture Media
This group consists of traditional materials used by sculptors to forge or mold their work.
- Bronze, Clay, Marble, Plaster
Green: Restaurant Seating Options
These terms describe the various places a host might seat a party in a dining establishment.
- Banquette, Booth, Chair, Stool
While most are common, a Banquette specifically refers to a long bench along a wall, a staple of classic restaurant layouts.
Blue: Telecom
These words represent the entities and infrastructure involved in cellular and digital services.
- Carrier, Network, Operator, Provider
Purple: Ending in Chinese Dynasties
This category is the most difficult, relying on phonetic and spelling overlaps with famous historical Chinese dynasties.
- BBQing, Homing, Lohan, Wu-Tang
The wordplay reveals the Qing, Ming, Han, and Tang dynasties hidden at the end of each word. For instance, “BBQing” uses the “Qing” dynasty (often pronounced “ching”), while “Wu-Tang” explicitly references the “Tang” dynasty.
Performance Analysis
For players who want to analyze their tactical choices, The New York Times offers the Connections Bot. Unlike the Wordle Bot, which focuses on letter efficiency, the Connections Bot provides a numeric skill score and a step-by-step breakdown of how you approached the groupings. This tool is particularly useful for identifying “trap” words that Liu often includes to misdirect players.
