A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1250
hints & answers for November 12, 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 November 12, 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 G, G, H and J. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

GOOD HEAVENS belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

"GADZOOKS!"

Reveal all four words
  • GOOD HEAVENS
  • GREAT SCOTT
  • HOLY SMOKES
  • JIMINY CRICKET

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CHANGE PURSE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

STARTING WITH VARIATIONS

Reveal all four words
  • CHANGE PURSE
  • FLUX CAPACITOR
  • SHIFT DRESS
  • SWING SET

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ARCTIC CHAR belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ENDING IN WAYS TO COOK THINGS

Reveal all four words
  • ARCTIC CHAR
  • COMEDY ROAST
  • DOC BROWN
  • YOU'RE TOAST

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

GLADIATOR SANDALS belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

STARTING WITH BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS

Reveal all four words
  • GLADIATOR SANDALS
  • MARTY MCFLY
  • MOONLIGHT SONATA
  • ROCKY ROAD
Show categories only
  • Yellow: "GADZOOKS!"
  • Green: STARTING WITH VARIATIONS
  • Blue: ENDING IN WAYS TO COOK THINGS
  • Purple: STARTING WITH BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

"GADZOOKS!"

GOOD HEAVENS · GREAT SCOTT · HOLY SMOKES · JIMINY CRICKET

Green

STARTING WITH VARIATIONS

CHANGE PURSE · FLUX CAPACITOR · SHIFT DRESS · SWING SET

Blue

ENDING IN WAYS TO COOK THINGS

ARCTIC CHAR · COMEDY ROAST · DOC BROWN · YOU'RE TOAST

Purple

STARTING WITH BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS

GLADIATOR SANDALS · MARTY MCFLY · MOONLIGHT SONATA · ROCKY ROAD

Other spelling matches on this board

No alternative four-entry spelling match was found by the anagram, palindrome, shared-start and shared-ending checks. Semantic overlaps may exist; these checks do not assess them.

These are checked spelling comparisons, not claims about the editor's intent or the most common player mistakes.

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.