It’s a weirdly wonderful thing, isn’t it? Waking up with your mind half-full of dreams and half-ready to wrestle with something like NYT Connections. You don’t exactly plan to care as much as you do, and yet—every morning you find yourself poking at that colorful little grid of 16 words like it owes you money.
For Monday, September 22, the game served up a satisfying challenge, as always, with groups that nudged, twisted, and occasionally sucker-punched our linguistic intuition.
But before we pull apart the answers like threads from a crossword sweater (yep, those exist in the mind), let’s step into the bigger picture—why people even show up for this daily ritual. Whether you’re here for the thrill of a reverse rainbow, or just trying to keep your win streaks alive longer than your houseplants—this lil’ column’s got your back.
What Is NYT Connections Anyway?
If you’re brand new to this delightful chaos, NYT Connections is one of the latest brainy darlings from the New York Times (NYT) Games lineup, riding the post-Wordle wave but doing its own jazzy tap dance. Instead of guessing a single word, you’re given a grid of 16 words, and your job is to sort them into four groups of four, each connected by a shared theme—some as obvious as a hammer to the face, some sneakier than a cat in socks.
These connections range from geometric calculations (like AREA, LENGTH, VOLUME) to nostalgic references like 1980s Britain, or even places like Las Vegas casino hotels. The best ones are the real head-scratchers—groups of words that look related until they absolutely aren’t. These, my friend, are what we call red herrings. You’ll swear on your best coffee mug that OREO and DOMINO must belong together… and you’d be right, but not for the reason you think.
NYT Connections Today: September 22 Puzzle Overview
Okay, spoilers ahead. If you’re still stuck in the puzzle-solving trenches and want to tackle it alone, maybe duck out now, grab a snack, and come back later. We’ll still be here, flexing our word nerdiness.
Today’s color-coded groupings:
- 🟨 Yellow (Easiest): Geometric Calculations
AREA, LENGTH, PERIMETER, VOLUME - 🟩 Green: Black-and-White Objects
ORCA, OREO, DOMINO, CROSSWORD - 🟦 Blue: Las Vegas Casino Hotels
ARIA, ENCORE, EXCALIBUR, LUXOR - 🟪 Purple (Hardest): Words That Sound Like Plural Letters
ARS, AYES, EASE, OWES
Let’s talk through the more playful or downright treacherous parts of this puzzle.
From Yellow to Purple: Decoding the Color Difficulty Spectrum
The NYT has a lil’ tradition with Connections—difficulty is color-coded from yellow to purple, moving from “ahh that makes sense” to “are you kidding me right now?” That last one’s where most folks drop their streak, or start frantically asking for NYT Connections hints on Discord or Google.
Yellow was pure comfort food today. Even your geometry-hating uncle who once measured a chair with spaghetti could’ve gotten AREA, PERIMETER, etc.
But Purple? Let’s talk about plural-sounding words for a sec.
Imagine hearing “AYES” and thinking of voting—fine. But now put it next to “EASE,” “ARS,” and “OWES.” Your brain doesn’t immediately yell “plural letters!”—instead, it stumbles. That’s the magic (or malice?) of Connections. It’s all about word association puzzles twisted in just the right way to make you doubt your very sentience.
Community Reactions: The Daily Word Game Vibe Check
Pop over to the Discord for word games or the comments section under Erik Kain’s latest Forbes write-up in Pastimes, and you’ll hear the same chorus:
- “AYES and OWES got me good.”
- “Shoutout to my middle school geometry teacher for the Yellow group.”
- “Purple made me want to throw my phone into the Luxor fountain.”
Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea.
This game isn’t just about solving—it’s about sharing. You’ll see people posting their emoji-based result sharing squares like proud war medals. A clean “🟨🟩🟦🟪” run? That’s a flex. A “🟨🟨🟨🟨”? Still better than a reverse rainbow. Just don’t talk about the reverse rainbow. We’re still recovering.
The Vegas Vibe: Casino Hotels In Today’s Puzzle
One of today’s most playful groupings was the Las Vegas casino hotel names. Let’s unpack:
- ARIA – Elegant and classy.
- ENCORE – For when you didn’t gamble enough.
- EXCALIBUR – Where fake knights roam free.
- LUXOR – That pyramid hotel thing that looks like it should be in a Bond film.
This grouping got a few players tripped up, mostly because these words don’t scream “hotels” out of context. But for Vegas fans or folks who’ve watched too much YouTube about casino culture, this was a gold mine.
If you’ve ever wandered the smoky, glittering halls of Luxor or been mildly confused in the mirrored elevators at Encore, this group probably clicked immediately. Everyone else had to guess their way through it.
Why These Groupings Work (And Hurt)
Connections isn’t just about knowing stuff. It’s about noticing patterns, interpreting shades of meaning, and surviving the NYT’s surprisingly twisted sense of humor.
Take the Black-and-White Things group. A real chef’s kiss. DOMINO, OREO, ORCA, CROSSWORD—all make perfect sense after you’ve grouped them. But until then, you’re probably trying to fit ORCA with other animals and OREO with desserts. That’s where the game hits hard with its red herrings—innocent words with just enough charm to lead you entirely the wrong way.
And then there’s the beautiful mind-melt of the Words That Sound Like Plural Letters group. It’s a masterclass in wordplay that punishes you for being too literal. That kind of clever misdirection is what keeps this game addictive.
How the Puzzle-Solving Community Keeps the Game Alive
The heart of NYT Connections isn’t just in the grid—it’s in the people who show up every day to wrestle with it. From Reddit threads to Discord chats, to blogs like this lil’ column, there’s an entire puzzle-solving community out here dissecting clues, celebrating wins, and groaning collectively over the hard purples.
And the best part? The game never feels the same twice. It might echo past puzzles, sure—but the mechanics, the grouping logic, the sneaky fake-outs—they all evolve.
People even try to build their own 4×4 grids now. DIY Connections is becoming a whole underground scene. If the NYT Games app ever allows user submissions, it’s over for us.
Want to Get Better? Join the Club (and Read the Clues)
If today’s puzzle left you in a spiral, you’re not alone. But here are some genuine tips to sharpen your NYT Connections strategies:
- Look for plural letter sounds. If it sounds weird, it’s probably purple.
- Watch out for words with multiple meanings—like CROSSWORD or ORCA.
- Try building temporary groupings in your head, even if they don’t make sense at first.
- Consider subscribing to the Connections newsletter or following regular breakdowns from folks like Erik Kain on Forbes.
Also, don’t sleep on the comment sections. The real sauce is in the folks who’ve played 100+ puzzles and still get bamboozled by AYES.
Final Thoughts
Games like NYT Connections have a funny way of becoming rituals. Like a warm cup of tea with a hint of existential dread. It’s not just about “winning”—it’s about tuning your brain, about trying to see what the New York Times is trying to make you see. It’s about recognizing that a word is more than its definition. It’s sound, it’s association, it’s a memory, a joke, a trick, a song (like A Town Called Malice by The Jam).
And most of all, it’s a shared experience.
Whether you’re a teacher using it to challenge your class, a retired crossword lover relishing the brain stretch, or a night owl whispering “just one more try” at 2am—Connections is for you.
How To Write Your Own Custom Connection Message
Got a friend who’s struggling with the game? Or maybe you just want to send some clever encouragement? Here’s how to craft a solid custom message:
- Reference today’s trickiest group. (“Bet you got bamboozled by AYES too, huh?”)
- Toss in a pop culture nod. (“That purple group was wilder than 1980s Britain.”)
- Add a little humor. (“DOMINO and OREO? The tastiest trap ever.”)
- Keep it short. Or don’t. Either way, make it you.
Better yet, drop it in the comments and see who relates. There’s nothing quite like commiserating over a shared puzzle heartbreak.
Wrapping Up
So, what did we learn from the NYT Connections puzzle on Monday, September 22?
That sometimes the right answer doesn’t look right at all. That casinos, cookies, whales, and math can all live in the same mental neighborhood. That a simple grid of 16 words can make you laugh, yell, and feel deeply satisfied. And that a word isn’t just a word—it’s a world.
If you made it this far, hats off to you. Now go flex your emoji grid, tell a friend, or maybe even make a new connection—on Discord, or just across the breakfast table.
Frequently Asked Questions
connections hints today
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle includes word groups based on geometry, black-and-white items, Vegas hotels, and words that sound like plural letters. Hints help guide you through the categories.
forbes connections
Forbes regularly posts daily NYT Connections hints and answers in Erik Kain’s column, offering strategies and insights to help players solve the puzzle.
connection hints today
Hint topics for today include basic math terms, monochrome objects, Vegas landmarks, and phonetically plural-sounding words. Use these clues to form your four word groups.
connections today hint
Today’s hints suggest categories related to measurements, visual contrast (black & white), famous casinos, and homophones of letters. Pay attention to sound and theme.
connections forbes
Forbes covers NYT Connections with daily walkthroughs and hints. Erik Kain’s columns are a go-to source for players looking for subtle clues or full answers.
