NYT Connections Answer for Yesterday

Welcome to another day of NYT Connections! If you’re here, you might be scratching your head over a few tricky words in today’s grid. The puzzle for September 22, 2026, curated by Wyna Liu, offers a classic mix of straightforward categories and one particularly "accented" curveball that might trip up even the most seasoned players.

Whether you are looking for a small NYT Connections hint to get you over the hump or the full answer for 2026-09-22, I’ve got you covered.

What's the Vibe Today?

Today’s puzzle is a masterclass in hidden-in-plain-sight wordplay. We have some very common grammatical staples, a few synonyms for "finishing touches," and a purple category that requires you to think about how words look—or how they should look.

Hints for Today's Categories

If you don't want the full answers just yet, here are some hints to nudge you in the right direction:

• Yellow Category: These are the words you use when you are literally pointing something out.
• Green Category: Think of small additions that make a piece of art or a room feel complete.
• Blue Category: You’ve likely seen these words while filling out a feedback form or a political poll.
• Purple Category: These words all look like normal English words, but they are missing a specific diacritical mark to become popular drinks.

Connections Solutions for September 22, 2026

Here is the breakdown of the categories and the words that belong to them.

Yellow: DEMONSTRATIVES

These are the "pointing words" in the English language. They identify which specific thing a speaker is referring to.

• THAT, THESE, THIS, THOSE

Green: EMBELLISHMENT

These words represent a small, decorative addition that enhances the overall appearance of something.

• ACCENT, DETAIL, FLOURISH, TOUCH

Blue: OPTIONS ON A MULTIPLE CHOICE SURVEY

If you’ve ever taken a Likert-scale survey (ranging from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree"), these terms will be very familiar.

• AGREE, DISAGREE, NEUTRAL, OTHER

Purple: BEVERAGES WITH ACUTE ACCENTS REMOVED

This was the "Aha!" moment for today. Each of these words is a beverage if you add the acute accent (´) back onto the vowel.

• CAFE (Café)
• PATRON (Patrón – a brand of Tequila)
• ROSE (Rosé)
• THE (Thé – French for tea)

A Closer Look at the Puzzle

The Yellow category (Demonstratives) was almost too simple, which can sometimes make you overthink it. Similarly, the Blue category (Survey Options) was quite cohesive, though "OTHER" can sometimes be a bit of a wildcard in these puzzles.

The Green category (Embellishment) was solid, though "ACCENT" served as a clever "red herring" for the Purple category. You might have seen "ACCENT" and "CAFE" and thought of linguistics immediately, but Wyna Liu used "ACCENT" in its decorative sense here.

The Purple category was the real star today. Seeing "THE" in the list is always a signal that something tricky is happening, as it's the most common word in English. Recognizing it as the French word for tea (Thé) was the key to unlocking the "Beverages with Accents Removed" theme.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play NYT Connections?

The goal is to find groups of four words that share something in common. Select four words and tap "Submit" to see if your guess is correct. You have four lives, and the game ends if you lose them all.

What do the colors mean in Connections?

The colors represent the difficulty level of the category:

• Yellow: Most straightforward.
• Green: Common words or synonyms.
• Blue: Usually involves specialized knowledge or slightly more abstract links.
• Purple: The trickiest category, often involving wordplay, homophones, or hidden themes.

When does the NYT Connections reset?

The puzzle resets every day at midnight in your local time zone.

Check back tomorrow for more hints and the latest solutions! Happy puzzling!