Play Connections #1194
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 #1194 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
-
Yellow group hintGentle hint
These describe how easily something stretches or rebounds and returns to its shape.
Was this hint -
Green group hintGentle hint
You would have to dig down below street level to reach any of these.
Was this hint -
Blue group hintHelpful hint
Add a common article at the front and you get films headlined by one Australian star.
Was this hint -
Purple group hintHelpful hint
Each one completes a phrase that starts with a word for deep affection.
Was this hint -
Where's the trap?Strong hint
Several words point to sources of water, which tempts you to group them even though they belong to different categories.
Was this hint -
The four group namesStrong hint
- ELASTICITY
- THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND
- HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"
- LOVE ___
Was this hint
Difficulty: Medium. A newer film title and a fill-in-the-blank category with very different meanings make the last two groups trickier than the first two.
Connections #1194 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for September 17, 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
BOUNCE is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ELASTICITY.
Show all four words
BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE, SPRING
Show one word
MINE SHAFT is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND.
Show all four words
MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE, SUBWAY STATION, WELL
Show one word
FOUNTAIN is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE".
Show all four words
FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES, WOLVERINE
Show one word
HANDLES is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is LOVE ___.
Show all four words
HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, TRIANGLE
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- BOUNCE: Rebounding quality of a stretchy or resilient thing.
- FLEXIBILITY: Ability to bend or stretch without breaking.
- GIVE: Slight yielding or stretch under pressure.
- SPRING: A coil that stretches and snaps back.
- MINE SHAFT: Vertical tunnel dug down to reach ore.
- SEWER LINE: Pipe buried beneath streets carrying waste.
- SUBWAY STATION: Train stop located below ground level.
- WELL: Deep hole dug to reach water.
- FOUNTAIN: The Fountain is a 2006 Jackman film.
- PRESTIGE: The Prestige is a 2006 film with Jackman as a magician.
- SHEEP DETECTIVES: The Sheep Detectives is a Jackman film.
- WOLVERINE: Jackman played this X-Men hero in The Wolverine.
Purple group explained
- HANDLES: Love handles are fat around the waist.
- LANGUAGE: Love language is how someone expresses affection.
- TAP: Love tap is a gentle playful pat.
- TRIANGLE: Love triangle involves three people in a romance.
What does SHEEP DETECTIVES mean?
A comedy film, released around 2026, about sheep who investigate a mystery, based on the novel 'Three Bags Full'. Hugh Jackman appears in it. It fits the group as 'The Sheep Detectives'.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 16 | #1193 | SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER |
| Sep 15 | #1192 | THINGS THAT APPEAR AT THE END |
| Sep 14 | #1191 | ___GRASS |
| Sep 13 | #1190 | ENDING IN ELEVATED LANDFORMS |
| Sep 12 | #1189 | ___ ALERT |
| Sep 11 | #1188 | THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY |
| Sep 10 | #1187 | ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "HAPPENING NOW" |
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 17
Connections #1194 questions
What were the Connections answers on September 17, 2026?
ELASTICITY: BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE, SPRING. THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND: MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE, SUBWAY STATION, WELL. HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE": FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES, WOLVERINE. LOVE ___: HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, TRIANGLE.
What was the purple group in Connections #1194?
LOVE ___: HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, TRIANGLE.
What made Connections #1194 tricky?
Several words point to sources of water, which tempts you to group them even though they belong to different categories.