A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1222
hints & answers for October 15, 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 15, 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, D, P and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CURE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD

Reveal all four words
  • CURE
  • DRY
  • PICKLE
  • SMOKE

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BASKET belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS YOU CAN SCORE IN SPORTS

Reveal all four words
  • BASKET
  • GOAL
  • RUN
  • TOUCHDOWN

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BASE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

LOWEST PART

Reveal all four words
  • BASE
  • BOTTOM
  • FOOT
  • FOUNDATION

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, F, R and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CANNON belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED

Reveal all four words
  • CANNON
  • FORGE
  • RACINE
  • VOLLEY
Show categories only
  • Yellow: WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD
  • Green: THINGS YOU CAN SCORE IN SPORTS
  • Blue: LOWEST PART
  • Purple: LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD

CURE · DRY · PICKLE · SMOKE

Green

THINGS YOU CAN SCORE IN SPORTS

BASKET · GOAL · RUN · TOUCHDOWN

Blue

LOWEST PART

BASE · BOTTOM · FOOT · FOUNDATION

Purple

LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED

CANNON · FORGE · RACINE · VOLLEY

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.