Connections Hints Today — October 29, 2026
Welcome to your daily Connections companion. Use progressive hints to reveal only what you need and protect your solve.
Today's Words
Here are today's 16 words. They need to be sorted into four groups of four, where each group shares a hidden connection. The words below are shuffled — use the shuffle button to rearrange them.
GOTHIC
PIGGY BANK
ANTARCTICA
EMPEROR
NEAPOLITAN
TYPEWRITER
TUXEDO
CANDY CORN
SANS
WADDLE
PAYPHONE
CALICO
PARKING METER
WISHING WELL
TRAFFIC LIGHT
ROMAN
Connections Hints Today
Start with subtle directional hints, then reveal stronger clues only if needed. Each level provides one hint per color group.
Level 1: Direction Hints
Each hint below gives an abstract sense of direction for one group. No category names or specific words are revealed.
Look for shared usage, not appearance.
Let exclusions confirm the grouping.
Sort by role before surface form.
A common setting ties these entries.
Level 2: Theme Hints
These hints are slightly more specific, describing the theme or type of connection. Category names are still hidden.
A shared convention explains the set.
The strongest link is a specific role.
A familiar category emerges after comparison.
One practical context brings them together.
Level 3: Category Names
Now we reveal the actual category names. Can you figure out which words belong to each?
Level 4: Anchor Words
One anchor word per group is revealed below. This word most clearly belongs to its category.
Level 5: Full Solution
The complete solution is revealed below with all four groups and their words.
Trap Warnings
Watch out for these potential false groupings. The puzzle is designed with red herrings that can lead you astray.
At least one word likely fits multiple plausible groups. Confirm all four before submitting.
Today's Categories
If you already know which words go together but need confirmation on the category names, reveal them below.
Today's Connections Answers
If the hints were not enough, you can reveal the complete answer below. This shows all four groups with their category names and words. Only reveal this if you are sure you want the full solution.
How Hard Is Today's Connections
Today's puzzle sits in the middle: some groups are clear, while others are intentionally tricky.
Multiple abstract categories raise solving difficulty.
How We Solved It
Use these concise solve notes to understand how to break down the puzzle and improve pattern recognition.
- Start with the cleanest four-word set to reduce ambiguity.
- When two words look interchangeable, test both in different tentative groups.
- Use process of elimination once one group is solved.
- If a set feels forced, swap one word and re-evaluate the whole board.
Yesterday's Connections
Yesterday's puzzle is available below behind a reveal button for quick review.
Puzzle #1337 — 2026-10-28
ROMANTIC LIKING
COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL
Connections Archive: Past Connections Answers
Review the last 10 days and reveal each answer in place.
Oct 28 · Wed
#1337Reveal
Oct 28 · Wed
Oct 27 · Tue
#1341Reveal
Oct 27 · Tue
Oct 26 · Mon
#1331Reveal
Oct 26 · Mon
Oct 25 · Sun
#1343Reveal
Oct 25 · Sun
Oct 24 · Sat
#1338Reveal
Oct 24 · Sat
Oct 23 · Fri
#1339Reveal
Oct 23 · Fri
Oct 22 · Thu
#1336Reveal
Oct 22 · Thu
Oct 21 · Wed
#1335Reveal
Oct 21 · Wed
Oct 20 · Tue
#1328Reveal
Oct 20 · Tue
Oct 19 · Mon
#1327Reveal
Oct 19 · Mon
| Date | Day | Puzzle | Reveal In Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28 | Wed | #1337 | Reveal answersyellow ROMANTIC LIKINGATTRACTION CRUSH INTEREST FEELINGS green COMPONENTS OF AN EMAILSUBJECT ATTACHMENT BODY SIGNATURE blue NASA MARS ROVERSCURIOSITY SPIRIT OPPORTUNITY PERSEVERANCE purple HOMOPHONES OF PATHSROUT COARSE WEIGH RODE |
| Oct 27 | Tue | #1341 | Reveal answersyellow MESS (WITH)TINKER FIDDLE TRIFLE MEDDLE green PARTS OF THE EARDRUM CANAL ANVIL STIRRUP blue ___ BELLTACO JINGLE LIBERTY DIVING purple BELL ___PEPPER JAR TOWER BOTTOMS |
| Oct 26 | Mon | #1331 | Reveal answersyellow RESPONSES TO "HOW ARE YOU?"CHILLING MANAGING SAME OLD NOT BAD green KINDS OF MATSWELCOME YOGA PRAYER WRESTLING blue AKC DOG BREED GROUPSTOY SPORTING HOUND HERDING purple HORROR MOVIES WITH LAST LETTER CHANGEDHALLOWEEK JAWN PSYCHS HOSTED |
| Oct 25 | Sun | #1343 | Reveal answersyellow STEALPOCKET PALM SWIPE BOOST green PASTA SHAPESWAGON WHEEL ELBOW SHELL BOW TIE blue FICTIONAL TOMSTHUMB SWIFT SAWYER RIPLEY purple THINGS THAT CAN BE SNAPPEDGLOW STICK FOOTBALL FINGERS RUBBER BAND |
| Oct 24 | Sat | #1338 | Reveal answersyellow KINDS OF STRIPSCOMIC BACON FILM MÖBIUS green THINGS ON STICKSSPARKLER POPSICLE HOBBY HORSE PINWHEEL blue ONLINE AD FORMATSPOP-UP BANNER INTERSTITIAL OVERLAY purple ___ BARSALAD CANDY SPACE SPORTS |
| Oct 23 | Fri | #1339 | Reveal answersyellow FORTHRIGHTDIRECT VOCAL OPEN FRANK green THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTEREXTENSION DRIVER UPDATE PLUGIN blue QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWERPOWER DISTANCE TIME FORCE purple ___ TAPLOVE SPINAL PHONE DOUBLE |
| Oct 22 | Thu | #1336 | Reveal answersyellow PARTS TO BE GRASPEDGRIP HANDLE KNOB HILT green KINDS OF SCULPTURESMOBILE RELIEF BUST STATUE blue AMERICAN FOOTBALL POSITIONSSAFETY END TACKLE GUARD purple STARTS OF BEDDINGCOMFORT BLANK PILL SHE |
| Oct 21 | Wed | #1335 | Reveal answersyellow CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMESLEAPFROG HOT POTATO DUCK DUCK GOOSE MUSICAL CHAIRS green IMPORTANT PERSONALPHA DOG BIG CHEESE TOP BANANA HEAVYWEIGHT blue FAMOUS PAINTINGSSUNFLOWERS AMERICAN GOTHIC CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN THE SCREAM purple DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)ENGLISH HORN SWEETBREAD MANTIS SHRIMP GRAPE-NUTS |
| Oct 20 | Tue | #1328 | Reveal answersyellow FINISHWRAP CLOSE STOP END green LACKEYPOODLE MINION PUPPET STOOGE blue MUSTACHESCHEVRON PENCIL WALRUS HORSESHOE purple HOMOPHONES OF DISNEY CHARACTERSDOCK BELL MINI ARIAL |
| Oct 19 | Mon | #1327 | Reveal answersyellow SEETHERAVE STEAM FUME BOIL green ALL TALKHOT AIR WIND GAS BLATHER blue "MC" THINGS AT MCDONALD'SMUFFIN FLURRY RIB NUGGETS purple ENDING IN BIRDSMOHAWK BALLOON ALIBIS ESCROW |
How to Play Connections
New to NYT Connections? Here's everything you need to know to get started. The game is simple to understand but can be surprisingly challenging to master.
Connections Rules
Study the 16 words
When you open the puzzle, you will see 16 words arranged in a 4x4 grid. Take a moment to read through all of them before making any guesses. Look for obvious connections, shared themes, or patterns that might link four words together.
Select four words
Tap or click on four words that you believe share a common connection. The connection could be a shared category (like types of fruit), a wordplay pattern (like words that follow a common prefix), or a cultural reference (like characters from a TV show).
Submit your guess
Once you have selected four words, hit the Submit button. If all four words belong to the same group, the group is revealed with its category name and color. If your guess is wrong, you lose one of your four allowed mistakes.
Use the color feedback
When a group is correctly identified, it is revealed with a color: yellow (easiest), green (medium), blue (tricky), or purple (hardest). This difficulty ordering can help you calibrate your remaining guesses. If you are stuck, focus on finding the most obvious remaining group.
Watch out for traps
The puzzle is designed with intentional red herrings. Some words will appear to fit in multiple categories. For example, a word like BASS could relate to music or fishing. Look for the most specific connection that links exactly four words, and be wary of groups that seem too easy.
Solve all four groups
The puzzle is complete when all four groups are correctly identified, or when you have used all four of your allowed mistakes. After completion, you can share your results as a spoiler-free colored grid showing which groups you found and how many mistakes you made.
What the Colors Mean
Yellow
The easiest group. The connection is usually the most straightforward and recognizable. Start here if you are looking for a confidence-building first solve.
Green
A moderately easy group. The connection is clear once you see it, but it may require a moment of thought. Often involves common categories or well-known groupings.
Blue
A tricky group. The connection may be less obvious or require knowledge of a specific topic. Words in this group often overlap with other potential categories.
Purple
The hardest group. Often involves wordplay, hidden patterns, or very abstract connections. This is frequently the last group solved and the one most likely to trip up experienced players.
Frequently Asked Questions About Connections
NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle published by The New York Times. Players are presented with 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four, where each group shares a hidden connection. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). You get four mistakes before the game ends.
You are given 16 words on a 4x4 grid. Your goal is to find four groups of four words that share something in common. Select four words you think belong together and submit your guess. If correct, the group is revealed with its category name. If wrong, you lose one of your four allowed mistakes. The puzzle is solved when all four groups are found.
A new Connections puzzle is published every day at midnight Eastern Time. Every player worldwide receives the same puzzle on the same day, which makes it easy to discuss results and compare strategies without worrying about different puzzles.
The four colors represent difficulty levels. Yellow is the easiest group with the most straightforward connection. Green is slightly harder. Blue is tricky. Purple is the hardest group, often involving wordplay, puns, or very abstract connections. Starting with yellow and working up is a common strategy.
You are allowed four mistakes in each Connections puzzle. After your fourth incorrect guess, the game ends and the remaining groups are revealed. There is no penalty for taking your time, so it pays to think carefully before submitting each guess.
Yes, Connections is free to play on The New York Times website and app. While the NYT offers a Games subscription for additional features and games, Connections itself can be played without a subscription or account.
The official NYT site only offers the current day's puzzle. Once a new puzzle is published at midnight, the previous day's puzzle is no longer available on the official site. However, third-party archive sites exist that allow you to practice with older puzzles.
Start by scanning all 16 words for obvious groupings. Look for the yellow (easiest) group first. Be cautious of words that seem to fit in multiple categories, as these are often traps. If you are stuck, try thinking about less obvious connections like wordplay, prefixes, suffixes, or pop culture references. The purple group often involves the trickiest connection.
Connections is edited by Wyna Liu at The New York Times. The puzzles are crafted by a team of puzzle constructors. Wyna Liu took over as editor after the game was created, and the puzzle has grown to become one of the most popular daily word games alongside Wordle.
Hints give you clues about the groups without revealing the full solution. They might describe the theme of a group, name one word from a group, or identify the category name. Answers show the complete solution with all four groups fully revealed. Our site offers progressive hints so you can choose how much help you want.