NYT Connections Answer

Happy Sunday, puzzle lovers! Today’s NYT Connections for September 13, 2026, is a classic Wyna Liu production—full of clever wordplay and some devious red herrings that might lead you down a few rabbit holes before you find the right path.

If you’re feeling a bit stuck on today’s grid, don't worry. Whether you're looking for a small NYT Connections hint or the full answer for 2026-09-13, I’ve got you covered.

Let’s break down today’s categories!

Hints for Today’s Categories

If you want to solve it yourself, here are some nudges in the right direction:

• Yellow: Think about things that have lost their tension or structural integrity.
• Green: History buffs will recognize these names immediately, though some have double meanings.
• Blue: Try saying these words out loud and listen to the sounds they make.
• Purple: Focus on the very last few letters of each word. What do they describe geographically?

Yellow: Lacking in Firmness

This group is all about physical descriptions of things that aren't quite holding their shape anymore. It’s the most straightforward category of the bunch.

• DROOPY
• FLACCID
• SAGGING
• SLACK

Explanation: These are synonyms for being loose or limp. Whether it’s a tired face or a loose rope, these words describe a lack of tension.

Green: U.S. Presidents

This one might have tripped you up because some of these words belong to other "fandoms." GARFIELD and ODIE (the dog) might have made you think of comic strips, while CLEVELAND and MADISON look like major U.S. cities.

• CLEVELAND
• GARFIELD
• GRANT
• MADISON

Explanation: While they are cities and cartoon characters, their primary connection here is that they were all leaders of the United States.

Blue: Words That Sound Like Two Letters

This is a classic "auditory" category. If you spell out the sounds of these words, you’ll find they are just two letters of the alphabet joined together.

• EMPTY (M-T)
• EXCESS (X-S)
• KEWPIE (Q-P)
• ODIE (O-D)

Explanation: This was the "gotcha" category today! EMPTY is literally "M" and "T." A KEWPIE doll sounds like "Q" and "P." Even ODIE from the Garfield comics fits here as "O" and "D."

Purple: Ending in Elevated Landforms

The purple category is usually the most abstract, and today it’s all about suffixes. If you strip away the first part of the word, you’re left with a geological high point.

• DOUBLESPEAK (Peak)
• HEATHCLIFF (Cliff)
• PARAMOUNT (Mount)
• PORRIDGE (Ridge)

Explanation: This is a brilliant connection. Double-peak, Heath-cliff, Para-mount, and Por-ridge. Wyna Liu loves hiding words inside other words, and this landform theme is a perfect example.

Summary for 2026-09-13

If you missed a few, here is the quick breakdown of the answer for 2026-09-13:

• Lacking in Firmness: DROOPY, FLACCID, SAGGING, SLACK
• U.S. Presidents: CLEVELAND, GARFIELD, GRANT, MADISON
• Words That Sound Like Two Letters: EMPTY, EXCESS, KEWPIE, ODIE
• Ending in Elevated Landforms: DOUBLESPEAK, HEATHCLIFF, PARAMOUNT, PORRIDGE

Today’s puzzle had some great overlap—using GARFIELD and ODIE to distract from the President/Phonetic categories was a masterstroke!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is a daily word game where players must group 16 words into four categories of four. Each category has a different difficulty level: Yellow (easiest), Green, Blue, and Purple (hardest).

When does the new NYT Connections puzzle come out?

New puzzles are released every day at midnight in your local time zone via the New York Times Games app and website.

How do I get better at Connections?

Look for "red herrings"—words that seem to fit together but are designed to mislead you. Often, a word could fit into two different categories, so it’s best to find all four words for a group before locking them in.

Who is the editor of NYT Connections?

The game is currently edited by Wyna Liu, who is known for her creative and often pun-heavy category themes.