New York Times Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Today’s groups use shared meanings, geography, missing letters, and word beginnings.
NYT Connections #1223 Puzzle Overview: 16 October 2026
CHIP and CHICKEN each have more than one meaning. Check the spelling of a word before grouping it by meaning.
The sixteen words on today’s board are: HUNGARY, HUNGRY, HIPPO, CHICKEN, CHIP, CHAD, COOLIDGE, CYRUS, SPAN, MARK, LAOS, NICK, PARAGUAY, SMARTIES, BULGARI, SCRATCH.
NYT Connections Hints: 16 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 of visible damage to an object.
- Each term can describe a small flaw on an outer layer.
Step 2 · one word
MARK
Step 3 · category
SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS
Step 4 · all four words
CHIP, MARK, NICK, SCRATCH
Green group
Step 1 · two hints
- Look for a geographic connection.
- Each of these nations has no coastline.
Step 2 · one word
CHAD
Step 3 · category
LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES
Step 4 · all four words
CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS, PARAGUAY
Blue group
Step 1 · two hints
- A letter is missing from each entry.
- Restore one letter to make the name of a nation in Europe.
Step 2 · one word
BULGARI
Step 3 · category
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MINUS A LETTER
Step 4 · all four words
BULGARI, CYRUS, HUNGRY, SPAN
Purple group
Step 1 · two hints
- Focus on the beginning of each entry.
- The opening letters of each entry form an adjective about being fashionable.
Step 2 · one word
COOLIDGE
Step 3 · category
STARTING WITH WORDS FOR “STYLISH”
Step 4 · all four words
CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO, SMARTIES
NYT Connections Answers: 16 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)
CHIP, MARK, NICK, and SCRATCH describe damage to a surface. CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS, and PARAGUAY are countries without a coastline.
BULGARI becomes BULGARIA with an A; CYRUS becomes CYPRUS with a P; HUNGRY becomes HUNGARY with an A; and SPAN becomes SPAIN with an I. HUNGRY can also mean eager. Its resemblance to HUNGARY points toward the landlocked-country group, but HUNGRY belongs with the altered European names.
CHICKEN begins with CHIC, COOLIDGE with COOL, HIPPO with HIP, and SMARTIES with SMART.
Yesterday’s groups for 15 October 2026
- WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD: CURE, DRY, PICKLE, SMOKE
- THINGS YOU CAN SCORE IN SPORTS: BASKET, GOAL, RUN, TOUCHDOWN
- LOWEST PART: BASE, BOTTOM, FOOT, FOUNDATION
- LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED: CANNON, FORGE, RACINE, VOLLEY
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: 15 Oct · 14 Oct · 13 Oct · 12 Oct · 11 Oct · 10 Oct · 9 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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