NYT Connections is basically a daily psychological test disguised as a word game. You wake up, grab your coffee, and suddenly you’re staring at sixteen words that seem to have absolutely nothing in common—or, worse, they all seem to belong to the same category until you realize Wyna Liu has set a trap for you. If you’re looking for a Connections hint September 13, you’re likely down to your last two mistakes and feeling the pressure. It happens to the best of us. This specific puzzle relies heavily on your ability to spot wordplay rather than just literal definitions.
The September 13 puzzle is a classic example of why this game has exploded in popularity since its 2023 debut. It isn't just about what words mean. It’s about how they sound, how they look, and how they can be manipulated.
Why the September 13 puzzle is tripping people up
Usually, the yellow group is a total breeze. You see four types of fruit or four synonyms for "fast" and you move on. But today? The "easy" group feels a bit more nuanced. One of the biggest hurdles in the Connections hint September 13 set is the crossover between the blue and green categories. You might see a word that fits perfectly into a group about "size" only to realize it's actually part of a group about "printing terminology."
That’s the "red herring" strategy the editors love.
Let's talk about the words themselves. You’ve got terms that feel very corporate, sitting right next to words that feel like they belong in a carpentry shop or a fashion magazine. When you see words like "Small" or "Large," your brain immediately looks for "Medium." If it isn't there, you start panicking. You start looking for "Extra Large." But wait—what if "Small" isn't referring to size at all? What if it's a specific brand or a part of a phrase?
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A nudge in the right direction for the yellow category
If you want a Connections hint September 13 for the easiest group, think about physical magnitude. Not just "big," but the words we use to describe things that take up a lot of space or have a high capacity.
Think about a stadium. Think about a personality.
Often, the yellow group is the most straightforward "synonym" group. Today, it's about things that are substantial. If you're looking at the board and seeing four words that basically mean "a whole lot," you've probably found your first four. Don't overthink this one. If the word sounds like it describes a giant or a massive amount of storage, click it.
Moving into the green territory
The green group is where things get a bit more "industry-specific." If you’ve ever worked in an office or dealt with physical mail, these words will ring a bell.
They are descriptions of physical items you might find in a stationery store or a supply closet. However, the game is clever. It uses words that could also be verbs. For example, a word might describe the act of folding something, but in this context, it’s a noun.
Look for words that describe the "dimensions" or "formats" of paper and envelopes. This is a very common theme in NYT puzzles because there are so many specific terms (A4, Legal, Letter, Ledger) that most people know but don't use every day.
The dreaded purple category: Wordplay at its finest
The purple category is the "aha!" moment. Or the "I hate this game" moment.
For the Connections hint September 13 purple group, you need to think about what comes after a certain word. This is a favorite trick of the NYT. They take a common word—let’s say "Paper"—and find four words that can follow it to make a new phrase (Paper trail, Paper doll, Paper plate, Paper weight).
Today’s purple group follows a similar logic.
- One word relates to a type of shirt.
- One word relates to a type of music.
- One word relates to a type of social gathering.
- One word relates to a type of... well, let's just say it's something you might find at a construction site.
If you can find the link between "Tee" and "Ball," you’re halfway there. But that’s not the exact connection today. Instead, look for a word that can precede all four items in the group.
Breaking down the logic of the solve
Honestly, the best way to approach the September 13 puzzle is to eliminate the blue group first. The blue group today is actually quite specific to a certain type of "edge" or "border."
When you look at the board, do you see words that describe the periphery of something?
- Maybe a word that describes the side of a road?
- A word for the space at the edge of a book page?
- A word for the outer limit of a psychological state?
If you can group those four "edge" words, the rest of the board starts to clear up significantly. The problem most players have is that they find three words that fit a category and then try to force a fourth word that almost fits. If you have to talk yourself into it, it’s probably wrong.
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Common pitfalls in today's grid
One major pitfall in the Connections hint September 13 is the word "Large." In many contexts, "Large" is just a size. But in the world of beverage orders or clothing, it’s a specific designation. If you see other words like "Grande" or "Vent," you’d be looking for a coffee theme. Since those aren't here, "Large" has to belong to the "Substantial/Big" group.
Another trap is the word "Letter."
Is it something you mail? Or is it a size of paper? Or is it a character in the alphabet? This "polysemy"—where one word has multiple meanings—is the engine that drives Connections. On September 13, "Letter" is strictly about paper dimensions.
How to finish the September 13 board
If you are down to the wire, here is the breakdown of the categories without giving away every single answer immediately.
Yellow Group: Substantial in Size
Think big. Think massive. Think about words you'd use to describe a skyscraper or a huge ego.
Green Group: Paper and Envelope Sizes
This is the stationery group. If you've ever adjusted print settings on a computer, you'll know these.
Blue Group: Parts of an Edge
These words all describe the very end of something or the border that surrounds it.
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Purple Group: _____ Square
Think about famous locations or geometric concepts. If you can put the word "Square" after it and it makes sense, you've found the purple category.
Actionable steps for your next game
To get better at Connections, you have to stop thinking about what words mean and start thinking about how they are used in pop culture, idioms, and specialized industries.
- Say the words out loud. Sometimes the sound of a word triggers a connection that the spelling doesn't.
- Look for prefixes and suffixes. Is "Back" a word on the board? Maybe it's "Backdoor," "Backfire," and "Backstage."
- Check for parts of speech. If you have seven nouns and one verb, that verb is likely a red herring or belongs to a group where it acts as a noun.
- Don't click until you have all four. Guessing is the fastest way to lose. If you only have three, keep looking. The fourth is hiding in plain sight.
The September 13 puzzle is a reminder that the simplest words are often the most dangerous. "Small" and "Large" seem like filler, but they are the anchors for two different groups. Tomorrow, the grid will change, but the logic remains: trust nothing, question every definition, and always look for the word that can fit in two places. That's usually the key to the whole puzzle.