Game 1217 of NYT Connections arrives on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
Categories include paper-writing tools, words for presume, social media sections and boxing terms.
The purple group pairs each word with BOXING to form a new term.
NYT Connections brings a fresh puzzle every day. Another round of clues and answers opens today with Game 1217 for Saturday, October 10, 2026.
The grid holds 16 words. Players sort them into four groups of four. Each color signals difficulty. Yellow runs gentlest, and purple runs toughest.
The board shows these words: OUTLINE, SHADOW, FEED, FIGURE, DRAFT, IMAGINE, KICK, NOTIFICATIONS, GATHER, NOTES, UN, MESSAGES, BEAT, SUPPOSE, PROFILE and THESIS.
Several words overlap. FIGURE fits a school paper and a verb meaning guess. FEED sounds general, yet it belongs to one app. SHADOW suggests darkness at first glance. Those overlaps create today's traps.
The hints below nudge each group without giving away a single answer.
Yellow: Picture a student facing a blank page. The group lists items that shape a paper before the final version.
Green: A famous greeting to an explorer sets the tone. The last word of that greeting names the group.
Blue: Think of online life. Every word matches a tab or section inside a social media app.
Purple: Add a fighting word to the end of each entry. One answer looks like an abbreviation, which makes it a useful clue.
Answers:
DRAFT
NOTES
OUTLINE
THESIS
A thesis states the main argument. An outline maps the structure. Notes hold research and ideas. A draft forms the first full version of the work.
Answers:
FIGURE
GATHER
IMAGINE
SUPPOSE
Each word can mean to assume something. Gather means to infer from clues. Imagine and suppose both invite a guess. Figure works the same way in casual talk. This group hides the most obvious decoy, since a paper can include a figure.
Answers:
FEED
MESSAGES
NOTIFICATIONS
PROFILE
Feed shows a stream of posts. Messages hold private chats. Notifications flag new activity. Profile displays account details. Most major apps use all four tabs.
Answers:
BEAT
KICK
SHADOW
UN
Each word joins BOXING to form a new term. Beatboxing creates drum sounds with the mouth. Kickboxing blends punches with leg strikes. Shadowboxing means sparring with an imaginary rival. Unboxing shows a product coming out of its package.
This group looks hardest at first. UN reads like the United Nations, and BEAT suggests rhythm. The hidden suffix breaks that pattern.
Also Read: NYT Connections Hints, Answers for October 9, 2026 (Puzzle #1216)
Purple opens the door. Four words rarely share a meaning here, so the group must follow a wordplay rule. UN stands out as a fragment, not a full word. Spotting that oddity reveals the pattern fast.
Solving purple first leaves 12 words. SHADOW no longer distracts, and the board feels lighter.
Green comes next. FIGURE tempts players toward yellow, but THESIS, OUTLINE, NOTES and DRAFT already fill that group. Once the explorer clue clicks, the four presumed words fall into place.
Blue stays clean. Feed, messages, notifications and profile all point to one type of app. No other word competes for a spot.
Friday's puzzle used a sports-heavy grid.
Yellow, Decisive Victory: BLOWOUT, ROMP, ROUT, SWEEP
Green, Controlled by a TV Remote: CHANNEL, INPUT, POWER, VOLUME
Blue, Features of a Sports Show: HIGHLIGHTS, RECAP, SCORES, STATS
Purple, Air ___: CONDITIONER, GUITAR, KISS, QUOTES
Both days used a fill-in-the-blank purple group. Fans of that style can expect more of the same.
Players tap four words they believe belong together. A correct guess locks the group and reveals its color. Four mistakes end the run. The final group can sometimes be identified through elimination.
A new puzzle appears at midnight in each time zone. The game stays free on the NYT Games site and app.
Yellow: DRAFT, NOTES, OUTLINE, THESIS
Green: FIGURE, GATHER, IMAGINE, SUPPOSE
Blue: FEED, MESSAGES, NOTIFICATIONS, PROFILE
Purple: BEAT, KICK, SHADOW, UN
Also Read: Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for October 9, 2026