New York Times Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Today’s groups connect words through shared uses, shared meanings, and a one-letter spelling change.
NYT Connections #1222 Puzzle Overview: 15 October 2026
BASE, RUN, and CURE each have more than one everyday meaning. Check whether four words share the same sense before grouping them.
The sixteen words on today’s board are: SMOKE, BASKET, DRY, FOOT, VOLLEY, CANNON, RUN, PICKLE, BASE, GOAL, FORGE, FOUNDATION, CURE, RACINE, BOTTOM, TOUCHDOWN.
NYT Connections Hints: 15 October 2026
Each of the four color groups below opens in four steps: hints, one word, the category name, then all four words. Stop at the step that gives enough help.
Yellow group
Step 1 · two hints
- Think about what can be done to food before storage.
- Each action helps keep food from spoiling.
Step 2 · one word
DRY
Step 3 · category
WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD
Step 4 · all four words
CURE, DRY, PICKLE, SMOKE
Green group
Step 1 · two hints
- Think about what gets recorded during a game.
- Each can add to a team’s tally.
Step 2 · one word
BASKET
Step 3 · category
THINGS YOU CAN SCORE IN SPORTS
Step 4 · all four words
BASKET, GOAL, RUN, TOUCHDOWN
Blue group
Step 1 · two hints
- Think about where a part sits.
- Each can refer to the lower part of something.
Step 2 · one word
BOTTOM
Step 3 · category
LOWEST PART
Step 4 · all four words
BASE, BOTTOM, FOOT, FOUNDATION
Purple group
Step 1 · two hints
- Look for wordplay in the spelling.
- Change one letter in each word to get a term for a low place in the landscape.
Step 2 · one word
CANNON
Step 3 · category
LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED
Step 4 · all four words
CANNON, FORGE, RACINE, VOLLEY
NYT Connections Answers: 15 October 2026
Step 4 of each group above holds its answer. The full solved grid and notes on today’s tricky words are folded below.
Full solved grid
Tricky words (spoilers)
BASE may seem to fit with BASKET, GOAL, RUN, and TOUCHDOWN because of baseball. Here it belongs with BOTTOM, FOOT, and FOUNDATION as a word for a lowest part.
CURE, DRY, PICKLE, and SMOKE are ways to preserve food. BASKET, GOAL, RUN, and TOUCHDOWN are things scored in sports.
Change one letter in each purple word: CANNON becomes canyon, FORGE becomes gorge, RACINE becomes ravine, and VOLLEY becomes valley.
Yesterday’s groups for 14 October 2026
- HINT: FLICKER, SUGGESTION, TRACE, WHIFF
- TENNIS SHOTS: SERVE, SLICE, SMASH, VOLLEY
- SUPERHEROES, WITH “THE”: FLASH, HULK, PUNISHER, THING
- STARTING WITH “FEE, FI, FO, FUM”: FEED, FIERY, FOMENT, FUMBLE
More Connections: Yesterday’s puzzle · Play Connections on The New York Times
Also today: Wordle · Strands · Pips · Phrazle · Quordle · Keyword · Colordle · Unwordle · Hurdle · NYT Crossword · NYT Mini · NYT Midi · Jumble · Spelling Bee · Letter Boxed · Parseword · Poeltl
Earlier days: 14 Oct · 13 Oct · 12 Oct · 11 Oct · 10 Oct · 9 Oct · 8 Oct
Questions about Connections
When does Connections change to a new puzzle?
A new puzzle arrives at midnight in the player’s own time zone.
How many tries does a player get in Connections?
The game ends after four mistakes.
Where can a person play Connections?
Play on The New York Times Games site or in the NYT Games app: Connections.
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