Today's Connections Hints
Saturday, October 31, 2026
How NYT Connections Works
NYT Connections presents 16 words. Your goal: group them into 4 sets of 4, each sharing a hidden theme. Categories are color-coded by difficulty — Yellow (easiest), Green, Blue, and Purple (hardest). You get 4 mistakes before the puzzle ends.
Today's Hints
Today's Connections answers (Puzzle #1175) will be updated here after the puzzle is released each day at midnight Eastern Time.
While you wait, use our Word Finder or Unscrambler to explore words you see in today's grid.
Stuck on a Word?
Use our Word Finder or Unscrambler to look up any word from today's Connections grid. Find definitions, related words, and Scrabble values instantly.
Connections Strategy Tips
Start with what you're certain about
The Yellow category (easiest) is usually the most obvious grouping. If four words immediately jump out as related, test that group first to anchor your board.
Watch for red herrings
NYT intentionally includes words that seem to fit one category but actually belong to another. BARK might go with trees, dogs, or ships. Test your least confident group last.
Think about secondary meanings
Purple (hardest) almost always involves wordplay, hidden words, or double meanings. Read each word both literally and figuratively before committing.
Look for ___+word or word+___ patterns
A common purple trick: all four words can follow or precede the same hidden word. Example: FIRE___ → FIREPLACE, FIREWORK, FIREMAN, FIRESIDE.
Use the shuffle button strategically
Shuffling the board can reveal non-obvious groupings by breaking up the visual clusters your brain creates. Sometimes spatial separation reveals connections.