A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1210
hints & answers for October 3, 2026

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows October 3, 2026. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, H, J and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CAN OPENER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET"

Reveal all four words
  • CAN OPENER
  • HEAD WAITER
  • JOHN DENVER
  • W.C. FIELDS

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with E, F, L and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ELBOW GREASE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ENDING IN MUSICALS

Reveal all four words
  • ELBOW GREASE
  • FAT CATS
  • LINDA HAMILTON
  • SOMETHING WICKED

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, G, M and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BROAD BEAN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS

Reveal all four words
  • BROAD BEAN
  • GETTY IMAGES
  • MET HALFWAY
  • WHITNEY HOUSTON

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, M, N and R. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DIET SPRITE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES

Reveal all four words
  • DIET SPRITE
  • MERV GRIFFIN
  • NY GIANT
  • RIVER PHOENIX
Show categories only
  • Yellow: STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET"
  • Green: ENDING IN MUSICALS
  • Blue: STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS
  • Purple: ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET"

CAN OPENER · HEAD WAITER · JOHN DENVER · W.C. FIELDS

Green

ENDING IN MUSICALS

ELBOW GREASE · FAT CATS · LINDA HAMILTON · SOMETHING WICKED

Blue

STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS

BROAD BEAN · GETTY IMAGES · MET HALFWAY · WHITNEY HOUSTON

Purple

ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES

DIET SPRITE · MERV GRIFFIN · NY GIANT · RIVER PHOENIX

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.