NYT Connections #1183 and Strands #917 Puzzles for September 6

The New York Times Games division released its daily puzzle offerings for September 6, 2026, continuing the platform's lineup of brain-teasing challenges that have become popular online trends.

NYT Connections #1183 presented 16 words organized into four difficulty-tiered groups. The puzzle featured themes spanning permissions and computer terminology. The yellow group (easiest) included terms for unrestricted authorization: Blank Check, Carte Blanche, Free Rein, and Full Authority. The green group contained computer port types: Card Slot, Headphone Jack, Optical Drive, and USB Port. The blue group showcased redundant acronyms—terms where the acronym itself makes part of the phrase unnecessary: ATM Machine, LCD Display, PIN Number, and UPC Code. The purple group (hardest) unified terms ending with methods of cutting: Court Scribe, Director's Cut, Pizza Slice, and SAT Score.

NYT Strands #917 asked players to identify words sharing a common theme within a 6×8 letter grid. According to Insider Gaming's guide, the puzzle's theme involved synonyms describing baseline abilities. The Spanagram—the overarching theme phrase revealed by finding thematic words—was "Nothing Special." Hints provided clues including references to mathematical means, a line from "Dazed and Confused," and SpongeBob SquarePants dialogue about Squidward's clarinet playing.

NYT Connections launched in June 2023 as a free-to-play puzzle game available on desktop and mobile through the New York Times website and app. Players receive four attempts daily to categorize words correctly. Strands, launched in 2024, was developed by Juliette Seive, a research director on The New York Times Games team, with puzzle editor Tracy Bennett overseeing daily content curation.

Both games reset daily at midnight in players' local time zones. Connections puzzle #1184 became available September 7, and Strands #918 followed the same day.