NYT Connections Answer — October 21, 2026
Puzzle #1228 · 16 words, 4 groups
Here is the full solution to the NYT Connections puzzle for Wednesday, October 21, 2026 (#1228). The 16-word board is below, followed by all four groups — in difficulty order from yellow (easiest) to purple (trickiest). Answers stay hidden until you tap Reveal, so you can peek at the board first.
Today's board
ENGLISH HORN
LEAPFROG
ALPHA DOG
SWEETBREAD
HOT POTATO
MANTIS SHRIMP
SUNFLOWERS
BIG CHEESE
AMERICAN GOTHIC
GRAPE-NUTS
CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN
DUCK DUCK GOOSE
TOP BANANA
THE SCREAM
MUSICAL CHAIRS
HEAVYWEIGHT
The four groups
Yellow · StraightforwardCLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMES
DUCK DUCK GOOSE, HOT POTATO, LEAPFROG, MUSICAL CHAIRS
Green · ModerateIMPORTANT PERSON
ALPHA DOG, BIG CHEESE, HEAVYWEIGHT, TOP BANANA
Blue · TrickyFAMOUS PAINTINGS
AMERICAN GOTHIC, CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN, SUNFLOWERS, THE SCREAM
Purple · TrickiestDOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)
ENGLISH HORN, GRAPE-NUTS, MANTIS SHRIMP, SWEETBREAD
No spoilers — tap to show the answers
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How Connections works
NYT Connections gives you a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to sort them into four groups of four, where each group shares a hidden connection. The groups are colour-coded by difficulty: yellow is the most straightforward, then green and blue, and purple is usually the trickiest — often a wordplay or category twist. You get four mistakes before the game ends, and words that could fit more than one group are the classic traps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are today's Connections answers?
Tap Reveal the 4 groups above to see all four categories and their words for #1228, in difficulty order from yellow to purple.
What do the colours mean?
Yellow is the easiest group, followed by green and blue, and purple is the hardest — usually the one with a twist or wordplay.
When does the next Connections come out?
A new NYT Connections puzzle is released every day. We publish the verified answers each morning.
Where do I play Connections?
Play free at nytimes.com/games/connections or in the NYT Games app. This is an independent reference site, not affiliated with The New York Times.