Play Connections #1190
These are the 16 words in the order NYT shows them. Tap four words you think belong together and press Submit. You get four mistakes, and we'll tell you when you are one word away. Nothing is saved, so you can practise without touching your real streak.
Connections #1190 hints
Yellow is usually the easiest group and purple the trickiest. Start with one colour and see if the rest falls into place.
Hints used: 0
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Yellow group hintGentle hint
Think of things that hang down or go limp instead of standing up straight.
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Green group hintGentle hint
These are surnames of leaders who once lived in the White House.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Pronounce each one slowly and you may hear a pair of alphabet characters.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Look at how each one finishes, as if the ending were a spot on a hiking map.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
Garfield, Odie and Heathcliff all come from the comics, which tempts you to group them even though they belong in different places.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- LACKING IN FIRMNESS
- U.S. PRESIDENTS
- WORDS THAT SOUND LIKE TWO LETTERS
- ENDING IN ELEVATED LANDFORMS
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Difficulty: Hard. Two groups need you to hear or spot something hidden inside the words, while the other two are plain vocabulary and names.
Connections #1190 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for September 13, 2026, with why each word fits.
Reveal one group at a time
Each colour opens in three steps: one word from the group, then the group name, then all four words. Stop as soon as you can finish it yourself.
Show one word
DROOPY is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is LACKING IN FIRMNESS.
Show all four words
DROOPY, FLACCID, SAGGING, SLACK
Show one word
CLEVELAND is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is U.S. PRESIDENTS.
Show all four words
CLEVELAND, GARFIELD, GRANT, MADISON
Show one word
EMPTY is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is WORDS THAT SOUND LIKE TWO LETTERS.
Show all four words
EMPTY, EXCESS, KEWPIE, ODIE
Show one word
DOUBLESPEAK is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ENDING IN ELEVATED LANDFORMS.
Show all four words
DOUBLESPEAK, HEATHCLIFF, PARAMOUNT, PORRIDGE
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- DROOPY: Hangs down limply, without stiffness.
- FLACCID: Soft and limp rather than rigid.
- SAGGING: Sinking or bending downward from weakness.
- SLACK: Loose and not pulled tight.
- CLEVELAND: Grover Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms.
- GARFIELD: James Garfield was the 20th president.
- GRANT: Ulysses S. Grant led the Union army, then the nation.
- MADISON: James Madison was the fourth president.
- EMPTY: Sounds like M-T.
- EXCESS: Sounds like X-S.
- KEWPIE: Sounds like Q-P.
- ODIE: Sounds like O-D.
Purple group explained
- DOUBLESPEAK: Ends in PEAK, a mountain top.
- HEATHCLIFF: Ends in CLIFF, a steep rock face.
- PARAMOUNT: Ends in MOUNT, a hill or mountain.
- PORRIDGE: Ends in RIDGE, a long narrow elevation.
What does KEWPIE mean?
A brand of chubby-faced doll with a tuft of hair on top, based on a cartoon cupid, and also the name of a Japanese mayonnaise. It sounds like the letters Q and P.
What does HEATHCLIFF mean?
The brooding, vengeful hero of Emily Bronte's novel Wuthering Heights, and also the name of a cartoon orange cat. It ends in CLIFF, a high steep rock face.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 12 | #1189 | ___ ALERT |
| Sep 11 | #1188 | THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY |
| Sep 10 | #1187 | ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "HAPPENING NOW" |
| Sep 9 | #1186 | WORDS BEFORE "FORCE" |
| Sep 8 | #1185 | CANDY BARS PLUS A LETTER |
| Sep 7 | #1184 | STARTING WITH DISNEY CHARACTERS |
| Sep 6 | #1183 | ENDING WITH WAYS TO CARVE A SURFACE |
About Connections
Connections is a daily New York Times puzzle where you sort 16 words into four groups of four. Groups are colour-coded from yellow, the most direct, to purple, which usually relies on wordplay. You can make four mistakes. Looking back at past puzzles is one of the best ways to learn the kinds of tricks the editors like to use.
Other puzzles on Sep 13
Connections #1190 questions
What were the Connections answers on September 13, 2026?
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.
What was the purple group in Connections #1190?
ENDING IN ELEVATED LANDFORMS: DOUBLESPEAK, HEATHCLIFF, PARAMOUNT, PORRIDGE.
What made Connections #1190 tricky?
Garfield, Odie and Heathcliff all come from the comics, which tempts you to group them even though they belong in different places.