Connections archive · Puzzle #1198

NYT Connections Hints & Answers — September 21, 2026 (#1198)

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: Labels you'd click in an inbox.
  • Green: Bait and lures that draw a bite.
  • Blue: Moves and calls you make on a chessboard.
  • Purple: Opening chunks of famous classical composers' names.
2. One word from each group a foothold
  • Yellow: COMPOSE
  • Green: CHUM
  • Blue: CAPTURE
  • Purple: BEET
3. The four category names no words yet
  • Yellow: EMAIL BUTTONS
  • Green: WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH
  • Blue: CHESS VERBS
  • Purple: STARTS OF COMPOSERS' NAMES
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group

EMAIL BUTTONS

  • COMPOSE
  • DRAFTS
  • SENT
  • SPAM
Green group

WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH

  • CHUM
  • FLY
  • SPINNER
  • WORM
Blue group

CHESS VERBS

  • CAPTURE
  • CASTLE
  • CHECK
  • MATE
Purple group

STARTS OF COMPOSERS' NAMES

  • BEET
  • BRAH
  • CHOP
  • VIVA
5. Reveal everything full spoilers

Yellow — EMAIL BUTTONS

  • COMPOSE
  • DRAFTS
  • SENT
  • SPAM

Green — WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH

  • CHUM
  • FLY
  • SPINNER
  • WORM

Blue — CHESS VERBS

  • CAPTURE
  • CASTLE
  • CHECK
  • MATE

Purple — STARTS OF COMPOSERS' NAMES

  • BEET
  • BRAH
  • CHOP
  • VIVA

Today's puzzle, in a nutshell

Inbox buttons are the cleanest group. Purple is the trick — each word starts a composer's name — and FLY wants both a fishing lure and a chess piece.

NYT Connections #1198 — quick answers

What are today's Connections categories?

EMAIL BUTTONS; WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH; CHESS VERBS; STARTS OF COMPOSERS' NAMES.

What are all the answers?
  • EMAIL BUTTONS: COMPOSE, DRAFTS, SENT, SPAM
  • WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH: CHUM, FLY, SPINNER, WORM
  • CHESS VERBS: CAPTURE, CASTLE, CHECK, MATE
  • STARTS OF COMPOSERS' NAMES: BEET, BRAH, CHOP, VIVA

Also for: Connections hints 9/21/26, 9-21-26, 9 21 26, 9/21/2026, and puzzle #1198.

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