NYT Connections for Saturday, September 26, 2026, is puzzle #1203. The groups are breath fresheners, things done to a dress shirt at the laundry, features of wood, and “cool” things in expressions. Use the hints below first, then open the answer table if you want the complete solution.
Connections hints for September 26
These clues are arranged from less revealing to more revealing:
- Garlic’s worst nightmare
- Get the wrinkles out
- Fiona Goode’s worst nightmare
- Unbothered
Another way to approach the grid is to look for oral-hygiene methods, stages of attire care, timber markings, and expressions that mean something is unflappable or “cool.”
What are today’s Connections categories?
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Breath fresheners | GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY |
| Green | Things done to a dress shirt at the laundry | FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH |
| Blue | Features of wood | BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS |
| Purple | “Cool” things, in expressions | BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER |
Connections answers for September 26
Yellow: BREATH FRESHENERS
GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY all describe products or forms used to freshen breath. “Spray” refers to a breath spray.
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FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH are laundry treatments or handling steps for a dress shirt.
Blue: FEATURES OF WOOD
BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS are visible structures or markings found in timber.
Rank #2
Purple: “COOL” THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS
BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER complete familiar expressions: spill the beans, cool cat, cool as a cucumber, and the customer is always right (a “cool customer” is calm and self-possessed).
The complete 16-word grid
The words were MINT, PRESS, GRAIN, BEANS, STARCH, CAT, CUCUMBER, RINGS, GUM, FOLD, KNOTS, CUSTOMER, WASH, MOUTHWASH, BURL, and SPRAY.
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Connections presents 16 words. Find four groups of four that share a common connection, selecting one group at a time. The four colors indicate increasing difficulty, from yellow through purple, and you can make up to four mistakes.
The New York Times releases the daily puzzle at midnight in your local time zone. You can play through the Games app, the NYT Games website, nytimes.com/theathletic, or the News app. Eligible All Access and Games subscribers can use the archive, and eligible subscribers can also review Connections Bot statistics.
Quick Recap
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