Connections answers for Monday, September 21, 2026
Below: the Melio Connections puzzle for Monday, September 21, 2026, a progressive hint ladder so you can work toward the solution without spoiling it, and the full color-coded grouping if you want the answer outright.
Heads up: Melio’s Connections grids are independently authored. The answers for Monday, September 21, 2026 below are the Melio answers, not the NYT ones.
The 16 words
JUICE
NET
GRAPEFRUIT
SERVE
LIME
BAY
LAKE
POND
SEA
ACE
LOVE
SAUCE
CORE
PIE
LEMON
ORANGE
Hint ladder
Spoiler warning
Stage 1: letter spread
Today's 16 words are spread across the alphabet. The most common starting letters are L (4×), S (3×), P (2×), O (1×).
Stage 2: yellow theme
The yellow group's theme is "Citrus fruits". That's the easiest grouping; pick the four words that fit and you're a quarter of the way through.
Stage 3: yellow group reveal
The four yellow words are: LEMON, LIME, ORANGE, GRAPEFRUIT.
LEMONLIMEORANGEGRAPEFRUIT
Stage 4: all four themes
The four categories, in order from easiest to hardest, are: Yellow (easiest): "Citrus fruits" · Green: "Tennis terms" · Blue: "Apple ___" · Purple (trickiest): "Bodies of water".
Stage 5: full solution
Below is the full grouping; each row is one category.