Today's puzzle has types of strips, objects on sticks, online ad formats, and words that go with 'bar.'
The blue group can be confusing. Words like BANNER and POP-UP mean more than just online ads.
The purple group gets easier once you spot the word that follows all four entries.
Puzzle #1231 of NYT Connections came out on October 24, 2026. In this daily word game, you sort 16 words into four groups of four, with each group linked by a shared theme.
Today's board has common words like BACON, COMIC, CANDY, and SPACE. But the meaning you need is not always the first one you think of. You have to look past the obvious ideas to find the right groups.
The yellow group is a good place to start. BACON, COMIC, FILM, and MÖBIUS all go with the word 'strip.' A bacon strip is a slice of bacon. A comic strip tells a story with drawn panels. A film strip is a length of photo film. A Möbius strip is a shape with a half twist and only one side.
The green and blue groups ask you to think about how things are used. The names alone will not help much.
The green group has HOBBY HORSE, PINWHEEL, POPSICLE, and SPARKLER. Each one is linked to a stick. A hobby horse is a toy on a stick. A pinwheel spins on a stick. A popsicle is served on one. A sparkler has a thin wire stick.
The blue group is about online ads. BANNER, INTERSTITIAL, OVERLAY, and POP-UP are all ad formats on websites. The hard part is thinking of their ad meanings. A banner may seem like a flag to you, and a pop-up may seem like a real object.
Also Read: NYT Connections Hints and Answers for October 23, 2026
The purple group uses one word that comes after each entry. Add 'bar' and you get four common phrases: candy bar, salad bar, space bar, and sports bar.
CANDY and SALAD may make you think of food. SPACE may make you think of outer space. But the link is clear once you add BAR. This group becomes easier to solve when you test whether the same word fits all four entries.
Yellow: Kinds of Strips
BACON
COMIC
FILM
MÖBIUS
Green: Things on Sticks
HOBBY HORSE
PINWHEEL
POPSICLE
SPARKLER
Blue: Online Ad Formats
BANNER
INTERSTITIAL
OVERLAY
POP-UP
Purple: Words That Go Before BAR
CANDY
SALAD
SPACE
SPORTS
Today's puzzle is easier when you look at how the words relate to each other. Spot the strip group early to cut down the board. Then check the ad meanings and try BAR on the last group. This will help you avoid simple mistakes.