Updated for October 22, 2026. New hints go up when the puzzle changes at midnight Eastern time.
Today's Connections has four hidden groups of four. Start with a gentle nudge and only open more if you need it.
Welcome back, puzzlers. Let’s keep things light and let the pattern do the talking.
Hint 1: One word from each group
Each of these words belongs to a different group.
- Yellow (easiest): GRIP
- Green: BUST
- Blue: END
- Purple (hardest): BLANK
Hint 2: A nudge for each group
A gentle push toward each theme, easiest to hardest.
- Little things you close your fingers around for steady control.
- One floats, one stands alone, one rises from a surface, one shows just the upper half.
- Think classic spots on a field, each with a very different job.
- Each one kicks off a common longer word.
Hint 3: Yellow (easiest) group theme
The yellow group is Parts To Be Grasped.
Hint 4: Green group theme
The green group is Kinds Of Sculptures.
Hint 5: Blue group theme
The blue group is American Football Positions.
Hint 6: Purple (hardest) group theme
The purple group is Starts Of Bedding.
Show all four answers
Parts To Be Grasped
GRIP, HANDLE, HILT, KNOB
Kinds Of Sculptures
BUST, MOBILE, RELIEF, STATUE
American Football Positions
END, GUARD, SAFETY, TACKLE
Starts Of Bedding
BLANK, COMFORT, PILL, SHE
About this puzzle
- Edited by Wyna Liu
- Groups are listed from easiest (yellow) to hardest (purple).
Connections deep dive
More about today's puzzle. Everything in this section can include the answer.
Why each word belongs in its group, with a short dictionary meaning where one exists.
Yellow (easiest): Parts To Be Grasped
- GRIP: (transitive or intransitive) To take hold (of), particularly with the hand.
- HANDLE: The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved.
- HILT: The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford prot...
- KNOB: A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle.
Green: Kinds Of Sculptures
- BUST: (transitive, colloquial, chiefly US) To break.
- MOBILE: Pertaining to or by agency of mobile phones.
- RELIEF: The removal of stress or discomfort.
- STATUE: A three-dimensional work of art, usually representing a person or animal, usually created by sculpting, carving, mold...
Blue: American Football Positions
- END: The terminal point of something in space or time.
- GUARD: A person who, or thing that, protects or watches over something.
- SAFETY: The condition or feeling of being safe; security; certainty.
- TACKLE: (sports, countable) A play where a player attempts to take control over the ball from an opponent, as in rugby or foo...
Purple (hardest): Starts Of Bedding
- BLANK: Free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty space to be filled in.
- COMFORT: Contentment, ease.
- PILL: (broadly) A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of ...
- SHE: A female.
Play today's Connections at The New York Times
Recent Connections hints
Connections questions
How does Connections work?
You get 16 words and have to sort them into four groups of four that share something in common. You can make four mistakes before the game ends.
What do the colors mean?
Each group has a color that shows its difficulty: yellow is the most straightforward, then green, then blue, and purple is the trickiest.
When does the new Connections come out?
A new puzzle starts at midnight local time each day.
Why are some words in more than one possible group?
That is the point of the game. Several words usually fit two themes, and only one arrangement uses all 16 words correctly.
Does it matter which group I solve first?
No, but many players find it easiest to lock in the group they are surest of, which shrinks the pool for the harder ones.