If you have opened today’s NYT Connections puzzle and found yourself staring at 16 words that seem to have nothing to do with one another, you are definitely not alone. The New York Times word game can look deceptively simple, but finding four groups of four often requires players to spot a connection that is hiding in plain sight.
Connections #1201 for Thursday, September 24, 2026, brings together everything from vampire costumes and springy objects to pointing and anagrams. Some of the links are straightforward, while others may send you down the wrong path if you make a connection too quickly. So, if you are running out of guesses or simply want a few nudges before seeing the answers, here are today's clues and hints.
What is NYT Connections and why is it so popular?
Connections is one of The New York Times' most popular daily word games. Unlike Wordle, where players try to uncover a single five-letter word, Connections gives players 16 words or phrases and asks them to arrange them into four groups of four.
The catch is that several words can appear to belong together, even when they actually belong to different categories. That is what makes the game such a brain teaser.
Players have only four incorrect guesses, so finding one group can often make the remaining categories much easier to spot.
How difficult is today's Connections?
Today's Connections puzzle, #1201, has been rated 2.3 out of 5 for difficulty. That makes it relatively approachable, although the purple category may require a little more lateral thinking than the others. As always, difficulty can depend on how familiar you are with the particular references used in the puzzle, as per a report by USA Today and PC Guide.
What are the Connections clues for September 24?
If you want to solve today's puzzle yourself, these broader clues should point you in the right direction without giving everything away. Here are the four category clues for Connections #1201:
- Think Halloween.
- Think bouncy.
- With a finger.
- Same letters.
One answer from each group:
🟨 CAPE
🟩 BOBBLEHEAD
🟦 CREATION OF ADAM
🟪 BEER HAT
The answers are below this point, so stop scrolling if you still want to solve the puzzle without spoilers.
Today's Connections answers for September 24, 2026
If you have tried the clues and still cannot complete the grid, here are the four groups and all 16 answers for the puzzle. For anyone who wants the complete solution in one place, the four categories in NYT Connections puzzle #1201 on Thursday, September 24, 2026, as per a report by USA Today and PC Guide.
🟨 Parts of a vampire costume
CAPE, FACE PAINT, FAKE BLOOD, FANGS
This group is all about the classic vampire look. A cape, fangs, fake blood and face paint can all be used to create a vampire costume.
🟩 Things with spring/s
BOBBLEHEAD, POGO STICK, SNAKES IN A CAN, TRAMPOLINE
The second group is built around things associated with springs or spring-like movement. A bobblehead bounces, a pogo stick relies on spring action, a snakes-in-a-can gag uses a spring and a trampoline provides its familiar bounce.
🟦 Featuring pointing
CREATION OF ADAM, FOAM FINGER, I'M WITH STUPID SHIRT, UNCLE SAM
This category is all about pointing. Each one features a recognizable pointing gesture, whether it is the famous finger in Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam," a foam finger, the pointing figure on an "I'm With Stupid" shirt or the iconic Uncle Sam recruiting image.
🟪 Anagrams
BEER HAT, BREATHE, HERB TEA, THE BEAR
The final group is the wordplay category. Each of these phrases or words can be rearranged to create another word or phrase using the same letters.
Does NYT Connections get harder every day?
NYT Connections does not automatically become more difficult each day. Some puzzles simply feel tougher than others depending on the words, references and connections involved.
The four colors offer a rough guide to difficulty, with yellow generally being the easiest category and purple typically the most challenging. But a player's own knowledge can make a major difference.
Today's puzzle mixes familiar Halloween imagery with physical objects, famous pointing references and a wordplay-heavy final category. If one group seems impossible, solving another first can often make the remaining connections much easier.
