Yellow group
Most direct
First nudge
Think about what a good mattress or trampoline has.
Stronger nudge
Each word describes the stretchy, yielding quality of a material, like a rubber band that snaps back.
Group name
Elasticity
Connections hint #1194: September 17, 2026
Step-by-step hints and answers for Connections #1194, from Thursday, September 17, 2026.
Thursday reads quickly at first, and the main danger is a neat idea that seems to tie several tiles together. Check where each of those tiles could go before you commit. One set takes a moment of recall, and one of its members is recent enough that it may not ring a bell. Everything else is everyday vocabulary, so a slow, careful pass through the board should see you home.
- SPRING
- SUBWAY STATION
- PRESTIGE
- TRIANGLE
- TAP
- GIVE
- LANGUAGE
- FOUNTAIN
- WELL
- BOUNCE
- SEWER LINE
- HANDLES
- SHEEP DETECTIVES
- MINE SHAFT
- FLEXIBILITY
- WOLVERINE
Hints for Connections #1194
Open one step at a time. Step three names the group, so stop earlier if you want more of a challenge. New to the game? Read how to play Connections first, or see what the four colors mean.
Green group
Fairly direct
First nudge
Picture what lies beneath a busy city.
Stronger nudge
Each is something built or dug below ground level, from a place commuters wait for trains to a hole that brings up water.
Group name
Things that are underground
Blue group
Takes some thought
First nudge
Think about one actor's career, from superhero claws to musicals.
Stronger nudge
Each tile, with The in front, is the title of a film starring Hugh Jackman, including a magician drama by Christopher Nolan.
Group name
Hugh Jackman movies, with "The"
Purple group
Trickiest
First nudge
Think of a four-letter word that often comes before each tile.
Stronger nudge
Put the word for deep affection in front of each and you get a waist bulge, a way to show care, a gentle pat and a romantic mess between three people.
Group name
Love ___
Show the trap
Water seems to run through this board. SPRING, WELL, FOUNTAIN and TAP all sound like places it comes from, and that tidy set is tempting enough to click straight away. The solution scatters them across four groups. Before trusting the idea, ask what each tile means when water is not involved at all.
More ways to dodge red herrings: our Connections tips.
Word meanings
Some meanings point toward a group, so they stay hidden until you open them.
Show meanings for 5 tricky words
- FOUNTAIN
- A structure that sends water into the air, often in a park or square. The Fountain is also a 2006 Darren Aronofsky film whose lead actor plays three linked roles across different centuries.
- PRESTIGE
- Respect earned through success or reputation. The Prestige is also a 2006 Christopher Nolan film about two rival stage magicians in 1890s London.
- GIVE
- To hand something over, or in materials, the slight yielding of a surface under pressure, as when a floorboard has some give.
- SPRING
- A coil that stores energy, the season after winter, a natural source of water, or the ability to bounce back.
- TAP
- A faucet, a light touch, or to draw liquid from a barrel. It can also mean a soft, playful hit given with no intent to hurt.
Answers for Connections #1194
This section shows all four groups. Only open it if you're finished or ready to give up.
Show all four groups
-
Elasticity
BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE, SPRING
Words for elasticity: BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE and SPRING.
-
Things that are underground
MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE, SUBWAY STATION, WELL
Things found underground: a MINE SHAFT, a SEWER LINE, a SUBWAY STATION and a WELL.
-
Hugh Jackman movies, with "The"
FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES, WOLVERINE
Hugh Jackman films, each with THE in front: The FOUNTAIN, The PRESTIGE, The SHEEP DETECTIVES and The WOLVERINE.
-
Love ___
HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, TRIANGLE
Phrases that start with LOVE: LOVE HANDLES, LOVE LANGUAGE, LOVE TAP and LOVE TRIANGLE.
The solve at a glance
Start underground: MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE and SUBWAY STATION are plain to see, and WELL is the only tile that can join them, which breaks up the water set. FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES and WOLVERINE become Hugh Jackman films once The is added. HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP and TRIANGLE all follow LOVE, and BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE and SPRING close the grid as kinds of stretch.
Want to get better at spotting groups? Start with our Connections tips.
Answers checked against the official answers by Alan. This puzzle appeared on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
More Connections puzzles
Every puzzle keeps its own page with the same nudges, meanings and answers, so you can go back to any day.
Looking for a different day? Use the links below, or head to today's Connections hint. Every puzzle from September 2026 is listed on the September 2026 archive page.