Today's hints
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The answer
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Why this answer
The letters, categories, or grid logic that made this one tricky.
What made this one tricky:
- Connections is category-first: read the group labels as the answer, then use the listed cards to confirm no near-miss word belongs in a different color set.
BEWILDERING, ESOTERIC, INCOMPREHENSIBLE and OPAQUE all describe something hard to understand. MICROBREWERY, MINIVAN, NANOTECHNOLOGY and PICOSECOND begin with size-related prefixes. ARACHNOPHOBIA, HALLOWEEN, IT and SAW are horror films. BRUTE, ELECTROMAGNETIC, G and TASK all pair with FORCE.
Recent Connections answers
Stuck on a streak day? Past solves keep you moving.
Catching up? Here are the most recent solutions.
| Date | Puzzle | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 8, 2026 | Connections #1185 | CLASSIC AMERICAN PERFORMANCE CARS: CORVETTE, FIREBIRD, MUSTANG, VIPER. FEATURES OF A MIME COSTUME: BERET, GLOVES, STRIPES, SUSPENDERS. ___ HEART: ARTICHOKE, PURPLE, SACRED, TAKE TO. CANDY BARS PLUS A LETTER: DOVES, MARSH, SKORT, TWIXT. |
| Mon, Sep 7, 2026 | Connections #1184 | QUITE THE SAGA: FABRICATION, FISH STORY, TALL TALE, YARN. PARTS OF A BRA: CUP, HOOK, STRAP, UNDERWIRE. ASSOCIATED WITH PINE TREES: CAR AIR FRESHENER, CHRISTMAS, NEEDLES, TURPENTINE. STARTING WITH DISNEY CHARACTERS: PLUTONIUM, SCAR TISSUE, STITCH MARKER, TRAMPOLINE. |
| Sun, Sep 6, 2026 | Connections #1183 | UNRESTRICTED PERMISSION; PLACES TO INSERT SOMETHING INTO ON A COMPUTER; ABBREVIATIONS FOLLOWED BY REDUNDANT WORD; ENDING WITH WAYS TO CARVE A SURFACE. |
| Sat, Sep 5, 2026 | Connections #1182 | MOVE UNSTEADILY; BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA; ___HEAD; DESSERTS MINUS LAST LETTER. |
| Fri, Sep 4, 2026 | Connections #1181 | SPHERICAL THINGS; FOOD WHOSE NAME IS TWO FOODS; KINDS OF EELS; ACCESSORIES INSIDE STARTING AND ENDING LETTERS. |
| Thu, Sep 3, 2026 | Connections #1180 | TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB'S TAIL; SHADES OF RED; TOY CAR BRANDS; SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONS. |
| Wed, Sep 2, 2026 | Connections #1179 | FLABBERGAST; THINGS IN A VIOLIN CASE; ___ DOGS (THAT ARE DOGS); ___ DOGS (THAT AREN'T DOGS). |
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | Connections #1178 | "I PROMISE!"; LONG, SKINNY THINGS OFTEN SEEN TOGETHER; PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS OF FICTION; STARTING WITH WORDS OF INTENTION. |
| Mon, Aug 31, 2026 | Connections #1177 | THINGS THAT COME IN TUBES; WARNINGS ON A SHIPPING BOX; HISTORICAL SOVEREIGN TITLES; ___ BOWL. |
| Sun, Aug 30, 2026 | Connections #1176 | EXERCISE FACILITIES; WINE ACCESSORIES; BRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTS; WORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTER. |
| Sat, Aug 29, 2026 | Connections #1175 | UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR; KINDS OF SALAD; KEYBOARD KEYS; STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH. |
| Fri, Aug 28, 2026 | Connections #1174 | BEDTIME PARTING WORDS; PALINDROMES; MODERN ADD-ONS/COMBINING FORMS; TOP OF THE ___. |
| Thu, Aug 27, 2026 | Connections #1173 | ELECTRIC THINGS; MOVED TO TEARS; SHADES OF GRAY; MUSIC GENRE PLUS STARTING LETTER. |
| Wed, Aug 26, 2026 | Connections #1172 | "THERE YOU HAVE IT!"; KNACK; WHAT "P" MIGHT STAND FOR; KEY ___. |
More from the desk
The size-prefix group is the cleanest structural entry: MICRO-, MINI-, NANO- and PICO- form a descending scale. After separating the movie titles, test FORCE as a shared second word; that prevents OPAQUE and ESOTERIC from becoming stray abstract decoys.
FAQ
What are today’s NYT Connections answers for September 9, 2026?
The four groups are HARD TO UNDERSTAND; WORDS WITH "SMALL" PREFIXES; HORROR MOVIES; and WORDS BEFORE "FORCE".
How difficult is NYT Connections #1186?
It is hard. The horror titles and technical size prefixes create several plausible cross-category decoys.
What is the trickiest group in Connections #1186?
The words before FORCE are easy to miss because G FORCE and TASK FORCE look different from BRUTE FORCE and ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCE.
When does the next NYT Connections puzzle release?
Connections #1187 releases at midnight ET on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
How do you play NYT Connections?
Sort the 16 words into four groups of four connected entries. You can make up to four mistakes before the game ends.
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