Why Does SPAM Mean Canned Food in NYT Connections?
In NYT Connections #1200 for September 23, 2026, SPAM means the canned meat product, not junk email or unwanted online messages.
It belongs with CONDENSED MILK, PAINT and SHAVING CREAM in the group THINGS THAT COME IN CANS.
The shared feature is packaging.
The four items are not all foods.
Quick answer
SPAM Canned meat product
CONDENSED MILK Food sold in cans
PAINT Can be sold in cans
SHAVING CREAM Can be sold in pressurized cans
Official category THINGS THAT COME IN CANS
Why doesn’t SPAM mean junk messages here?
SPAM has a very familiar internet meaning, so it is easy to connect it with website problems or unwanted online content.
That interpretation is a decoy in this puzzle.
The official website-related group is:
AGE VERIFICATION
CAPTCHA
COOKIE CONSENT
PAYWALL
Those are all hurdles a visitor may encounter while trying to access a website.
SPAM does not belong to that official group.
Why does SPAM fit the canned group?
SPAM Classic is a canned meat product sold by the SPAM brand.
That gives SPAM the same packaging relationship as the other three entries.
The category does not mean that every example of paint, shaving cream or condensed milk can only be sold in cans.
It means each item is something that comes in a can.
Is this the same SPAM as email spam?
It is the same spelling but a different meaning.
Connections often relies on words with multiple familiar meanings.
In this puzzle, the food meaning wins.
Evidence
Sources
- NYT Connections — September 23, 2026 puzzle data
- SPAM — product varieties