A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1228
hints & answers for October 21, 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 21, 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 D, H, L and M. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DUCK DUCK GOOSE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMES

Reveal all four words
  • DUCK DUCK GOOSE
  • HOT POTATO
  • LEAPFROG
  • MUSICAL CHAIRS

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ALPHA DOG belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

IMPORTANT PERSON

Reveal all four words
  • ALPHA DOG
  • BIG CHEESE
  • HEAVYWEIGHT
  • TOP BANANA

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, C, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

AMERICAN GOTHIC belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FAMOUS PAINTINGS

Reveal all four words
  • AMERICAN GOTHIC
  • CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN
  • SUNFLOWERS
  • THE SCREAM

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ENGLISH HORN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)

Reveal all four words
  • ENGLISH HORN
  • GRAPE-NUTS
  • MANTIS SHRIMP
  • SWEETBREAD
Show categories only
  • Yellow: CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMES
  • Green: IMPORTANT PERSON
  • Blue: FAMOUS PAINTINGS
  • Purple: DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMES

DUCK DUCK GOOSE · HOT POTATO · LEAPFROG · MUSICAL CHAIRS

Green

IMPORTANT PERSON

ALPHA DOG · BIG CHEESE · HEAVYWEIGHT · TOP BANANA

Blue

FAMOUS PAINTINGS

AMERICAN GOTHIC · CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN · SUNFLOWERS · THE SCREAM

Purple

DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)

ENGLISH HORN · GRAPE-NUTS · MANTIS SHRIMP · SWEETBREAD

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.