Connections

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for October 31, 2026

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle asks players to sort 16 words into four groups, with several words placed to pull you toward the wrong category.
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Written By:
Somatirtha
Somatirtha
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Overview:

  • Today’s puzzle has four hidden categories, and a few of them reward players who look past the obvious meaning of a word.

  • Some words seem to fit more than one group, so the right grouping can be hard to spot at first.

  • Use the hints below first, and check the full answers only when you’re ready for spoilers.

The New York Times Connections puzzle for October 31, 2026, asks players to divide 16 words into four groups of four based on hidden connections. Today’s categories are slang words for “good” that sound negative, martini orders, things with strings, and words that start with dog commands.

The board includes words that suggest false groupings, so it helps to be sure of a connection before you lock in a group.

The Words on the Board

  • STAYCATION

  • GUITAR

  • DIRTY

  • KILLER

  • SICK

  • DOWNFALL

  • SHAKEN

  • UP

  • TENNIS RACKET

  • SHAKESPEARE

  • WICKED

  • TASSEL

  • SITCOM

  • MARIONETTE

  • DRY

  • GNARLY

Hints for Today’s Connections

Use these clues for a nudge without seeing the answers:

  • Yellow group: Flipped meaning

  • Green group: Not stirred

  • Blue group: There are no ___ on me

  • Purple group: ___word

Today’s Connections Categories

  • Yellow group: Words meaning good that sound bad

  • Green group: Martini specifications

  • Blue group: Things with strings

  • Purple group: Starting with dog commands

Today’s NYT Connections Answers

  • Yellow group: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED

  • Green group: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP

  • Blue group: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET

  • Purple group: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION

Today’s NYT Connections Answers

Also Read: NYT Connections Hints, Answers for October 30, 2026 (Puzzle #1237)

Why Today’s Puzzle Could Be Tricky

The Purple group is the hardest. The NYT Connection is the first syllable of each word (STAY, DOWN, SHAKE, SIT), not its overall meaning, so none of these words look related on the surface.

SHAKEN is the main trap. It belongs in the Green martini group, but SHAKESPEARE, which starts with a dog command, sits close enough to pull you into the wrong group.

TASSEL is also easy to miss in the Blue group, since most players will think of strung items like a guitar or a racket before they think of a tassel.

Overall, the puzzle mixes everyday slang with wordplay, so you have to look past a word’s usual meaning before committing to a group.

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