# NYT Connections #1193 was a trap-heavy stumper

> TechRadar’s daily NYT Connections guide lays out the hints, answers, and why game #1193 caught even a regular solver out.
- Title: NYT Connections #1193 was a trap-heavy stumper · TechRadar
- Summary: TechRadar’s daily NYT Connections guide lays out the hints, answers, and why game #1193 caught even a regular solver out. The September 16 puzzle hinged on…
- Keywords: nyt connections, word games, puzzles, gaming, hints, technology, NYT, Connections, 1193, trap-heavy, stumper, TechRadar
- Source: TechRadar — https://techradar.com/gaming/nyt-connections-today-answers-hints-16-september-2026
- Published: 2026-09-15T23:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nyt connections, word games, puzzles, gaming, hints, technology
## Start with the grid
Game #1193 opened with a strange mix of words, from FRANK-N-FURTER and PENNYWISE to LATIN, MARIGOLD, QUARTERBACK, and ST. VINCENT.

> Today's NYT Connections words are…
## Hints came first
The guide gave four clue lines before revealing anything: metallic endings, currency starts, middle names for poets, and hot dogs with a twist.

> YELLOW: Metallic final
## The groups were named
The themes were ending in metal elements, starting with U.S. coins, poets' middle names, and sausages plus a letter.

> SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER
## Then came the answers
LATIN, LONG JOHN SILVER, MARIGOLD, and STEAM IRON made the metal group. DIMENSION, NICKELODEON, PENNYWISE, and QUARTERBACK began with U.S. coins.

> ENDING IN METAL ELEMENTS
## Poets and sausages
BARRETT, CARLOS, ST. VINCENT, and WADSWORTH matched poets' middle names. BORAT, CLINK, FRANK-N-FURTER, and WIDENER hid sausages with one added letter.

> POETS' MIDDLE NAMES
## Tim Curry misled
The solver got pulled toward a Tim Curry theme because FRANK-N-FURTER and PENNYWISE both fit. WADSWORTH made that false path even more tempting.

> The main reason for my downfall was the actor Tim Curry
## A rare loss
TechRadar rated the puzzle hard and marked it as a fail, calling it the first Connections loss in months and praising anyone who finished it.

> Kudos if you completed this very hard game.
## Key takeaway

The September 16 puzzle hinged on wordplay and misdirection, especially coins, metals, poet names, and sausages with one extra letter.