Connections Hints

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — September 23, 2026

Jump to a hint level
Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
← Back to hint toolLoad any date with the interactive hint ladder
Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

AGE VERIFICATION
BITCOIN
CAPTCHA
CONDENSED MILK
COOKIE CONSENT
KEYS
PAINT
PAYWALL
PHONE
RECORD LABEL
RUB-A-DUB
SHAVING CREAM
SPAM
SUNGLASSES
SURINAME
WALLET
↑ Back to top
Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

THINGS YOU GRAB BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSEStraightforward
WEBSITE HURDLESModerate
THINGS THAT COME IN CANSTricky
ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "TERM"Devious
↑ Back to top
One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

THINGS YOU GRAB BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSEStraightforward
THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU PAT YOUR POCKETS FOR BEFORE THE DOOR CLOSES BEHIND YOU+ 3 more…
WEBSITE HURDLESModerate
DIGITAL OBSTACLES THAT STAND BETWEEN YOU AND THE CONTENT YOU WANT ONLINE+ 3 more…
THINGS THAT COME IN CANSTricky
PRODUCTS YOU'D FIND SEALED IN METAL CYLINDERS AT THE STORE+ 3 more…
ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "TERM"Devious
EACH OF THESE ENDS WITH A WORD THAT MEANS 'PERIOD' OR 'DURATION'+ 3 more…
↑ Back to top
Full solution
THINGS YOU GRAB BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSEStraightforward
KEYS,PHONE,SUNGLASSES,WALLET

KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES, and WALLET are the classic items people habitually grab when heading out the door

WEBSITE HURDLESModerate
AGE VERIFICATION,CAPTCHA,COOKIE CONSENT,PAYWALL

AGE VERIFICATION, CAPTCHA, COOKIE CONSENT, and PAYWALL are all barriers or prompts users encounter when browsing websites

THINGS THAT COME IN CANSTricky
CONDENSED MILK,PAINT,SHAVING CREAM,SPAM

CONDENSED MILK, PAINT, SHAVING CREAM, and SPAM all famously come packaged in cans

ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "TERM"Devious
BITCOIN,RECORD LABEL,RUB-A-DUB,SURINAME

BITCOIN ends in COIN (a term/period in some contexts), RECORD LABEL ends in LABEL... actually: bitCOIN→no; these end in synonyms for TERM — SURINAME ends in NAME, RUB-A-DUB ends in DUB, RECORD LABEL ends in LABEL, BITCOIN ends in COIN — wait, the synonyms for TERM are NAME (Suriname), LABEL (Record Label), SPELL/WORD/STINT — each word contains a hidden synonym for 'term' or 'word' at its end: SURINAME (NAME), RECORD LABEL (LABEL), RUB-A-DUB (DUB), BITCOIN (COIN) — all can mean a word, name, or expression

↑ Back to top