Connections archive · Puzzle #1194

NYT Connections Hints & Answers — September 17, 2026 (#1194)

Group hints and answers for the NYT Connections puzzle on . Get a spoiler-free nudge for each group, or reveal the full solution — your call.

Difficulty: Hard

Spoiler control

Choose how much to reveal

Reveal one step at a time — nudges first, full answers only if you ask.

1. Group nudges spoiler-free
  • Yellow: Words for stretch, rebound, and give in a material.
  • Green: Places and pipes you find below street level.
  • Blue: Film titles that start with THE — starring Hugh Jackman.
  • Purple: Fill-in-the-blank after LOVE — romance slang, psych, music, drama.
2. One word from each group a foothold
  • Yellow: BOUNCE
  • Green: MINE SHAFT
  • Blue: FOUNTAIN
  • Purple: HANDLES
3. The four category names no words yet
  • Yellow: ELASTICITY
  • Green: THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND
  • Blue: HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"
  • Purple: LOVE ___
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group

ELASTICITY

  • BOUNCE
  • FLEXIBILITY
  • GIVE
  • SPRING
Green group

THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND

  • MINE SHAFT
  • SEWER LINE
  • SUBWAY STATION
  • WELL
Blue group

HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"

  • FOUNTAIN
  • PRESTIGE
  • SHEEP DETECTIVES
  • WOLVERINE
Purple group

LOVE ___

  • HANDLES
  • LANGUAGE
  • TAP
  • TRIANGLE
5. Reveal everything full spoilers

Yellow — ELASTICITY

  • BOUNCE
  • FLEXIBILITY
  • GIVE
  • SPRING

Green — THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND

  • MINE SHAFT
  • SEWER LINE
  • SUBWAY STATION
  • WELL

Blue — HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"

  • FOUNTAIN
  • PRESTIGE
  • SHEEP DETECTIVES
  • WOLVERINE

Purple — LOVE ___

  • HANDLES
  • LANGUAGE
  • TAP
  • TRIANGLE

Today's puzzle, in a nutshell

Underground infrastructure is the cleanest group. Hugh Jackman titles need THE in front, and LOVE ___ can fake romance or music before HANDLE, LANGUAGE, TAP, and TRIANGLE click.

NYT Connections #1194 — quick answers

What are today's Connections categories?

ELASTICITY; THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND; HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE"; LOVE ___.

What are all the answers?
  • 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

Also for: Connections hints 9/17/26, 9-17-26, 9 17 26, 9/17/2026, and puzzle #1194.

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