Waking up to a grid of sixteen seemingly random words is a specific kind of morning masochism we've all grown to love. Honestly, today's puzzle is no exception. If you've already stared at your screen for ten minutes and only managed to find three words that kinda fit together, don't worry. You're definitely not alone. The New York Times editorial team, led by Wyna Liu, has a reputation for being particularly devious on Fridays, and the NYT Connections hints September 19 today suggest they haven't lost their touch.
The beauty (and frustration) of Connections is the misdirection. You see a word like "Mascara" and your brain immediately screams "Makeup!" But is it? Often, the most obvious link is a trap designed to make you burn through your four lives before you've even cleared the yellow group.
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Hints for the September 19 Categories
If you aren't ready for the full spoilers yet, let’s talk themes. Today’s puzzle leans heavily into bodily reactions, linguistic prefixes, and things that might ruin your morning.
- Yellow: This is usually the "straight-shooter" category. Think about ways you might judge or estimate something.
- Green: This one is all about body language. Specifically, the kind of things you do when your boss asks for a report you haven't started yet.
- Blue: This is the "annoyance" category. These are things that shouldn't move, but they do, and it usually costs you money or a tissue.
- Purple: As always, Purple is the wildcard. Today, it’s a "fill-in-the-blank" or "word-before" situation. Think of a common household material.
The Tricky Red Herrings
The biggest hurdle for most players today is the crossover between the green and blue groups. You've got words that look like they belong in a beauty routine, but they actually share a very specific—and frustrating—physical property.
Take a look at "Sweat" and "Blush." They feel like they belong together, right? They’re both things your face does when you're embarrassed. But wait. "Mascara" is also on the board. Does that fit with "Blush"? Suddenly, you're trying to build a "Face" category that doesn't actually exist in the way you think it does.
NYT Connections Answers for September 19
Sometimes you just need to see the logic to keep your streak alive. Here is the breakdown for the September 19 puzzle.
Yellow: Evaluate
These words are all about assigning a value or a position to something.
- GRADE
- RANK
- RATE
- SCORE
Green: Exhibit Nervousness
If you’ve ever had to give a speech, you’ve done at least two of these.
- BLUSH
- FIDGET
- PACE
- SWEAT
Blue: Things That Can Run, Annoyingly
This is the category that breaks hearts. It’s not about athletics; it’s about things that "run" in a way that ruins your day.
- DYE (as in hair dye or fabric)
- MASCARA (after a sad movie)
- NOSE (during allergy season)
- STOCKINGS (a snag that travels)
Purple: Paper ___
The classic "word that follows" category. If you add "Paper" before each of these, you get a common phrase or object.
- CLIP (Paper clip)
- TIGER (Paper tiger—something that seems powerful but is actually toothless)
- TOWEL (Paper towel)
- TRAIL (Paper trail)
Expert Strategy for Future Puzzles
Connections is as much about what you don't click as what you do. Experts like the ones over at the Daily Puzzle Hub suggest always looking for "fives." If you see five words that seem to fit a category, you know one of them is a decoy. For example, "Pace" could easily fit into a category about "Speed" or "Evaluate," but it’s actually tucked away in the "Nervousness" group.
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Always try to solve the Purple or Blue categories first if you can see them. Since the Yellow and Green are usually more literal, they are easier to solve by "default" once the tricky tiles are gone.
How to Keep Your Streak
- Don't commit to the first connection you see. Wait until you've found all four candidates for a group.
- Use the Shuffle button. Sometimes your brain gets stuck on the visual proximity of two words. Moving them around can break that mental loop.
- Read the words out loud. Sometimes the connection is phonetic or based on a common phrase you wouldn't "see" just by reading silently.
If today's puzzle got the better of you, don't sweat it (pun intended). There's always tomorrow's grid. To stay ahead of the game, try practicing with the archive puzzles or even the "Connections Plus" fan-made grids to sharpen your lateral thinking skills.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your remaining lives before guessing on the Blue category; it's the most common "streak-killer" today.
- If you're down to your last guess, focus on finding the "Paper" connection first to eliminate the Purple tiles.