Play Connections #1206
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 #1206 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 out of sight and off the beaten path.
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Green group hintGentle hint
Geography terms for where water gathers, flows and finally ends up.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Think of the opening word in titles from the studio with the bouncing desk lamp.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Letters from an ancient alphabet are buried across the space between two words.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
One water-related word is also a letter of an ancient alphabet, which tempts you to group it with the phrases that conceal letters.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- SECLUDED
- RIVER FEATURES
- FIRST WORDS OF PIXAR FILMS
- PHRASES HIDING GREEK LETTERS
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Difficulty: Medium. The first three sets are fairly friendly, but spotting letters that straddle a space between words takes a careful read.
Connections #1206 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for September 29, 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
HIDDEN is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is SECLUDED.
Show all four words
HIDDEN, REMOTE, SECRET, TUCKED AWAY
Show one word
DELTA is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is RIVER FEATURES.
Show all four words
DELTA, DRAINAGE BASIN, MOUTH, STREAM BED
Show one word
FINDING is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is FIRST WORDS OF PIXAR FILMS.
Show all four words
FINDING, INSIDE, MONSTERS, TOY
Show one word
FREEZE TAG is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is PHRASES HIDING GREEK LETTERS.
Show all four words
FREEZE TAG, HOME GAME, MODEL TANK, ORAL PHASE
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- HIDDEN: Concealed and not easy to see.
- REMOTE: Far from everything else, isolated.
- SECRET: Kept from others, not openly known.
- TUCKED AWAY: Stored or placed out of sight.
- DELTA: Land formed where a river splits and meets the sea.
- DRAINAGE BASIN: The whole area whose water flows into one river.
- MOUTH: The place where a river empties out.
- STREAM BED: The ground the water flows along.
- FINDING: Starts Finding Nemo and Finding Dory.
- INSIDE: Starts Inside Out.
- MONSTERS: Starts Monsters, Inc.
- TOY: Starts Toy Story.
Purple group explained
- FREEZE TAG: FreeZE TAg hides ZETA.
- HOME GAME: hoME GAme hides OMEGA.
- MODEL TANK: moDEL TAnk hides DELTA.
- ORAL PHASE: orAL PHAse hides ALPHA.
What does DRAINAGE BASIN mean?
The whole area of land where rain and melting snow flow into one river and its branches. It is also called a watershed or catchment. Here it is one of the river features.
What does STREAM BED mean?
The ground at the bottom of a river or creek, where the water flows over soil, sand or rock. Here it is a river feature, and it also hides the Greek letter ETA.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 28 | #1205 | THREE LETTERS PLUS REPEATED TRIGRAMS |
| Sep 27 | #1204 | ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES |
| Sep 26 | #1203 | "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS |
| Sep 25 | #1202 | TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER |
| Sep 24 | #1201 | ANAGRAMS |
| Sep 23 | #1200 | ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "TERM" |
| Sep 22 | #1199 | BEVERAGES WITH ACUTE ACCENTS REMOVED |
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 29
Connections #1206 questions
What were the Connections answers on September 29, 2026?
SECLUDED: HIDDEN, REMOTE, SECRET, TUCKED AWAY. RIVER FEATURES: DELTA, DRAINAGE BASIN, MOUTH, STREAM BED. FIRST WORDS OF PIXAR FILMS: FINDING, INSIDE, MONSTERS, TOY. PHRASES HIDING GREEK LETTERS: FREEZE TAG, HOME GAME, MODEL TANK, ORAL PHASE.
What was the purple group in Connections #1206?
PHRASES HIDING GREEK LETTERS: FREEZE TAG, HOME GAME, MODEL TANK, ORAL PHASE.
What made Connections #1206 tricky?
One water-related word is also a letter of an ancient alphabet, which tempts you to group it with the phrases that conceal letters.