The NYT Connections puzzle for September 13, 2026, is number 1190. Curated by Associate Puzzle Editor Wyna Liu, today’s grid features a heavy distraction for fans of classic comic strips.
If you are struggling with the board, the primary difficulty factor is a “cartoon animal” red herring. Words like GARFIELD, HEATHCLIFF, and ODIE immediately suggest a group based on famous orange cats and their companions, but these terms actually belong to three separate categories.
Broad Hints for Today’s Groups
- Yellow: These words describe something that has lost its tension or structure.
- Green: These are surnames of famous historical figures who held the highest office in the United States.
- Blue: Say these words out loud; they are phonetically identical to two letters of the alphabet spoken in sequence.
- Purple: Focus on the second half of each word; they all conclude with a specific type of geological feature.
According to Forbes, the Blue group is particularly tricky because it hides ODIE within a phonetic category rather than the expected cartoon group.
SPOILER WARNING: The answers for today’s Connections puzzle follow below.
Yellow: Lacking in Firmness
Words: DROOPY, FLACCID, SAGGING, SLACK
This group covers synonyms for items that are limp or have lost their rigidity.
Green: U.S. Presidents
Words: CLEVELAND, GARFIELD, GRANT, MADISON
This group utilizes the surnames of James A. Garfield, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, and James Madison. Note that GARFIELD is pulled away from the cartoon cat distraction here.
Blue: Words That Sound Like Two Letters
Words: EMPTY, EXCESS, KEWPIE, ODIE
The difficulty here lies in the phonetic mapping for each word:
- EMPTY sounds like “M-T”
- EXCESS sounds like “X-S”
- KEWPIE sounds like “Q-P”
- ODIE sounds like “O-D”
Purple: Ending in Elevated Landforms
Words: DOUBLESPEAK, HEATHCLIFF, PARAMOUNT, PORRIDGE
Each of these compound words or names ends with a word for a geological height: Speak (PEAK), Cliff (CLIFF), Mount (MOUNT), and Ridge (RIDGE). This is where HEATHCLIFF is categorized, completing the separation of the cartoon-themed words.
