NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, September 12 (game #1189)

(Image credit: New York Times) Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Connections today (game #1189) - today's words (Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…TURN SIGNALWEATHERPOSTERBUMPER STICKERVANITY PLATECURSORSPOILERTROLLSMOKE DETECTORFUZZY DICESPAMMERNERDREDEYELIDSHOOD ORNAMENTLURKERNYT Connections today (game #1189) - hint #1 - group hintsWhat are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: Vehicle adornmentsGREEN: Chatroom charactersBLUE: Flickering on and offPURPLE: Add a word that means “be aware”Need more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.NYT Connections today (game #1189) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A CARGREEN: PEOPLE IN AN ONLINE FORUMBLUE: THINGS THAT BLINKPURPLE: ______ ALERTRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Connections today (game #1189) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #1189, are…YELLOW: WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A CAR: BUMPER STICKER, FUZZY DICE, HOOD ORNAMENT, VANITY PLATEGREEN: PEOPLE IN AN ONLINE FORUM: LURKER, POSTER, SPAMMER, TROLLBLUE: THINGS THAT BLINK: CURSOR, EYELIDS, SMOKE DETECTOR, TURN SIGNALPURPLE: ______ ALERT: NERD, RED, SPOILER, WEATHERMy rating: HardMy score: 2 mistakesI missed the chance of completing the groups in difficulty order (yellow-green-blue-purple) by getting ___ ALERT ahead of THINGS THAT BLINK, but this was already a far from perfect game.My two mistakes were logical, in my mind, as I tried SPOILER for both WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A CAR and PEOPLE IN AN ONLINE FORUM.Speaking of bumper stickers, I recently spotted a niche one at a music festival that featured a picture of David Byrne with a speech bubble saying “How do I work this?” and “How did I get here?” and the legend “Keep honking — I have found myself behind the wheel of a large automobile” — lyrics from the Talking Heads classic Once in a Lifetime.Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, September 11, 2026, game #1188)YELLOW: PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT: BAND, FLORIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, PLANNERGREEN: INTERNALIZE: ABSORB, DIGEST, PROCESS, TAKE INBLUE: WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE: EXERCISE, JOURNAL, MEDITATE, UNPLUGPURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY: AGENDA, ENVELOPE, LIMITS, LUCKWhat is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.