A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1235
hints & answers for October 28, 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 28, 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 A, C, F and I. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ATTRACTION belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ROMANTIC LIKING

Reveal all four words
  • ATTRACTION
  • CRUSH
  • FEELINGS
  • INTEREST

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ATTACHMENT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL

Reveal all four words
  • ATTACHMENT
  • BODY
  • SIGNATURE
  • SUBJECT

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CURIOSITY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

NASA MARS ROVERS

Reveal all four words
  • CURIOSITY
  • OPPORTUNITY
  • PERSEVERANCE
  • SPIRIT

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

COARSE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOMOPHONES OF PATHS

Reveal all four words
  • COARSE
  • RODE
  • ROUT
  • WEIGH
Show categories only
  • Yellow: ROMANTIC LIKING
  • Green: COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL
  • Blue: NASA MARS ROVERS
  • Purple: HOMOPHONES OF PATHS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

ROMANTIC LIKING

ATTRACTION · CRUSH · FEELINGS · INTEREST

Green

COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL

ATTACHMENT · BODY · SIGNATURE · SUBJECT

Blue

NASA MARS ROVERS

CURIOSITY · OPPORTUNITY · PERSEVERANCE · SPIRIT

Purple

HOMOPHONES OF PATHS

COARSE · RODE · ROUT · WEIGH

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.