NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 14, 2026

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

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While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

Coot meaning

Medium-sized birds that look like ducks.

Goose meaning

A large bird that is smaller than a duck but larger than a swan.

Loon meaning

Large diving birds with sharp red eyes.

Teal meaning

Small, European dabbling ducks.

Canary meaning

A small finch or person who gives info to the police.

Rat meaning

Rodent or someone who betrays a friend's trust.

Snitch meaning

A tattletale.

Stoolie meaning

Slang for stoole pigeon. A bird that's used to lure other birds into a trap.

Bag meaning

A flexible container to carry things.

Cutlery meaning

Edged cutting tools.

Stirrer meaning

Utensil with a long stem to mix drinks.

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Straw meaning

A tube used to suck up a beverage.

Blue meaning

Color with the hue of the sky or shorthand for a type of pasture grass.

Crab meaning

A decapod crustacean or a type of invasive grass species.

Lemon meaning

An acidic fruit or a kind of grass found in southern India.

Wheat meaning

A cereal grain or a kind of low-maintenance grass type used for feeding animals.

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