The New York Times Connections
The New York Times Connections

NEW YORK — The New York Times released its latest Connections puzzle at midnight local time Tuesday, challenging players to sort 16 words into four hidden groups that range from straightforward synonyms to a fill-in-the-blank phrase category.

Puzzle No. 1220 includes several words with more than one everyday meaning, which can lead players toward incorrect groupings. Below are hints for each category, followed by the full solution. Readers who want to avoid spoilers should stop before the answers section.

How Connections works

Connections presents a grid of 16 words. Players must sort them into four groups of four based on a shared theme. Each puzzle has only one correct solution.

The groups are color-coded by difficulty. Yellow is considered the easiest, followed by green, blue and purple, which is typically the hardest and often relies on wordplay.

Players can make four mistakes before the game ends. Some words are deliberately placed to appear as though they belong in more than one group, a feature known among players as "red herrings."

Today's words

The 16 words on Tuesday's board are: EYE, LASH, LIPS, JACKET, TIE, SENSE, CHANGE, BELT, RING, TASTE, CUP, HITCH, CANNON, TETHER, FLAIR and ENDS.

Several of the words, including EYE, BELT and CHANGE, have more than one common meaning, so players should consider how each word might be used before committing to a group.

Hints for each category

Players who want help without seeing the full answers can use these clues.

Yellow: Think about how a person perceives or judges the world, especially when it comes to quality.

Green: Ways to join things together or hold them in place.

Blue: What winners receive for being the best at certain sports.

Purple: Each word can follow the same word, which is the opposite of tight.

One word from each group

For an additional nudge, here is one word from each category:

  • Yellow: TASTE
  • Green: TETHER
  • Blue: CUP
  • Purple: CANNON

Watch out for these traps

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The puzzle includes several words that could plausibly fit more than one group.

LASH may initially appear to belong with EYE and LIPS as parts of the face, but that apparent category does not exist in today's puzzle. TIE could suggest clothing alongside JACKET and BELT, while RING might seem to belong with items of jewelry. Players who focus on a single meaning of these words risk using up mistakes early.

SPOILER WARNING: The answers are below.

Today's Connections answers

The solution to NYT Connections No. 1220 on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, is:

Yellow — DISCERNMENT: EYE, FLAIR, SENSE, TASTE

These words describe an ability to perceive or judge quality, as in having "an eye" for design or "a taste" for fine art.

Green — FASTEN: HITCH, LASH, TETHER, TIE

Each word describes a way of securing or attaching one thing to another. LASH, in this case, means to bind tightly with rope or cord rather than referring to an eyelash.

Blue — SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES: BELT, CUP, JACKET, RING

These are awards given to champions in various sports. Boxing and wrestling champions receive title belts, hockey and soccer teams compete for cups, the Masters golf tournament winner receives a green jacket, and champions in leagues such as the NFL and NBA receive rings.

Purple — LOOSE ___: CANNON, CHANGE, ENDS, LIPS

Each word completes a common phrase beginning with "loose." A loose cannon is an unpredictable person, loose change refers to coins, loose ends are unfinished matters, and the phrase "loose lips" refers to careless talk.

Why this puzzle can be tricky

Tuesday's puzzle relies heavily on words with multiple meanings. The blue category requires players to think of sporting traditions rather than clothing or jewelry, while the green category hides the verb sense of LASH behind its more familiar facial meaning.

The purple group follows a common Connections pattern in which each word combines with a hidden word to form a familiar phrase. Players who spot the word "loose" can often solve the group quickly, but those focused on the individual meanings of CANNON, CHANGE, ENDS and LIPS may find the connection harder to see.

About Connections

Connections launched in 2023 and has since become one of The New York Times' most popular daily games, alongside Wordle, Strands and the Mini Crossword. Like Wordle, it resets at midnight local time, and players often share their color-coded results on social media.

Tips for future puzzles

Experienced players recommend starting with the group you are most confident about, even if it is not the yellow category. Looking for words with multiple meanings can help reveal red herrings. When a set of five or more words seems to fit one theme, at least one is likely meant for a different group.

Players are also advised to look for fill-in-the-blank patterns, where every word in a group can follow or precede the same word. These often make up the purple category.

A new Connections puzzle will be available at midnight local time.

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