The New York Times released a new edition of its popular word game Connections on September 17, 2026, featuring 17 words that players must group into four categories of varying difficulty. The words included in the puzzle are SPRING, SUBWAY STATION, PRESTIGE, TRIANGLE, TAP, GIVE, LANGUAGE, FOUNTAIN, WELL, BOUNCE, SEWER LINE, HANDLES, SHEEP, DETECTIVES, MINE SHAFT, FLEXIBILITY, and WOLVERINE. The categories for this puzzle were as follows: - **Yellow (Easiest):** ELASTICITY, which includes the words BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE, and SPRING. These words are related to the ability to stretch or bend. - **Green (Moderate):** THINGS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND, which includes MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE, SUBWAY STATION, and WELL. These are all structures or systems located below ground level. - **Blue (Difficult):** HUGH JACKMAN MOVIES, WITH "THE," which includes FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES, and WOLVERINE. These are all titles of movies starring Hugh Jackman, with "The" included in each. - **Purple (Hardest):** LOVE ____, which includes HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, and TRIANGLE. These words complete the phrase "Love handles," "Love language," "Love tap," and "Love triangle," all of which are common expressions. The puzzle was described as particularly challenging, with the author making two mistakes during the solving process. One error involved grouping SPRING, TAP, WELL, and FOUNTAIN as ways to access water, but the correct grouping for ELASTICITY was eventually found. Another mistake was placing TAP instead of WELL in the "Things That Are Underground" category, which was later corrected. The previous day’s puzzle, released on September 16, 2026, had different categories, including ENDING IN METAL ELEMENTS, STARTING WITH U.S. COINS, POETS' MIDDLE NAMES, and SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER. These puzzles are known for their clever wordplay and variety of themes. Connections is a free online game available on the New York Times Games website. Players are allowed to make up to four mistakes and do not need to solve the final category, as it can be deduced by process of elimination. The game continues to be a favorite among fans of word puzzles, offering both challenge and entertainment.