NYT Connections today — hints and answers for Monday, September 16 (game #463)

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 clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers , Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

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 #463) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CACTUS
• BOTTLE
• MUSHROOM
• CHEESE
• SUPREME
• GRADUATE
• HEDGEHOG
• PINEAPPLE
• CORN
• SALARY
• PAP
• PRINCIPAL
• CHIEF
• MACE
• PREMIER
• MUSH

NYT Connections today (game #463) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Most important
• Green: Has pointy bits
• Blue: Will have you crying your eyes out
• Purple: They all have a top to them?

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…

NYT Connections today (game #463) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: FOREMOST
• GREEN: SPIKY THINGS
• BLUE: OVERLY SENTIMENTAL WORK
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #463) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #463, are…

• YELLOW: FOREMOST CHIEF, PREMIER, PRINCIPAL, SUPREME
• GREEN: SPIKY THINGS CACTUS, HEDGEHOG, MACE, PINEAPPLE
• BLUE: OVERLY SENTIMENTAL WORK CHEESE, CORN, MUSH, PAP
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED BOTTLE, GRADUATE, MUSHROOM, SALARY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I'm a big fan of two of today's Connections groups. I love green, SPIKY THINGS, partly because HEDGEHOGs are just great, right? But also because I like the idea of a hedgehog being in a group with a MACE, a CACTUS and a PINEAPPLE. It amuses me for some reason.

Meanwhile, purple – which I didn't solve except by default – is a clever one, challenging players to work out that these are all THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED. I'm glad that I didn't need to work that one out myself.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 15 September, game #462)

• YELLOW: RESIDE DWELL, INHABIT, LIVE, STAY
• GREEN: DECREASE DECLINE, DROP, DWINDLE, EBB
• BLUE: DOOFUS CLOWN, DWEEB, SAP, TURKEY
• PURPLE: MEMBER OF A SEPTET DWARF, SEA, SIN, WONDER

What 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.