NYT Connections game #1231 for October 24 serves up strips, sticks and a few tempting overlaps. The trick is spotting which words share a link—and which merely look like they do.
There’s a clean way in, but the final group asks you to complete a familiar phrase rather than hunt for a shared object.
SPOILER WARNING: Hints and answers for today’s NYT Connections puzzle follow.
Today’s NYT Connections words
Here are the 16 words on today’s board:
- COMIC | SALAD | BACON | SPARKLER
- POPSICLE | POP-UP | CANDY | HOBBY HORSE
- BANNER | PINWHEEL | SPACE | FILM
- INTERSTITIAL | SPORTS | MÖBIUS | OVERLAY
Today’s NYT Connections hints
Need a nudge? These hints move from the most direct link to the trickiest:
- 🟡 Yellow: Think of a long, narrow form found in food, comics and film.
- 🟢 Green: Each of these can be mounted on a slender support.
- 🔵 Blue: These are different ways advertising can appear online.
- 🟣 Purple: Put the same word after each of these to complete a familiar phrase.
Today’s NYT Connections group titles
- 🟡 Yellow: KINDS OF STRIPS
- 🟢 Green: THINGS ON STICKS
- 🔵 Blue: ONLINE AD FORMATS
- 🟣 Purple: ___ BAR
What are today’s NYT Connections answers?
Here are all four groups and their words:
| Colour | Group | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 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 | ___ BAR | CANDY, SALAD, SPACE, SPORTS |
Today’s Connections — expert analysis
The natural entry point is yellow: BACON, COMIC, FILM and MÖBIUS all pair neatly with “strips.” That’s a solid first guess, and it clears the board of four words with little ambiguity. HOBBY HORSE, PINWHEEL, POPSICLE and SPARKLER make the next group feel similarly concrete: each belongs on a stick.
The hardest group is purple, because CANDY, SALAD, SPACE and SPORTS need the same word after them to reveal the link. The most obvious decoy is the shared “POP” in POP-UP and POPSICLE: one belongs with the online ad formats BANNER, INTERSTITIAL and OVERLAY, while the other goes with things on sticks. If you’re stuck, lock in the clear strip group first; it’s the safest guess and helps separate those overlapping-looking words.
Difficulty: 3.5/5 — the strip and stick groups are approachable, but the final phrase takes a beat to spot.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Game #1230)
Here are the four groups from yesterday’s Game #1230:
- 🟡 Yellow (FORTHRIGHT): DIRECT, FRANK, OPEN, VOCAL
- 🟢 Green (THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER): DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN, UPDATE
- 🔵 Blue (QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWER): DISTANCE, FORCE, POWER, TIME
- 🟣 Purple (___ TAP): DOUBLE, LOVE, PHONE, SPINAL
What is NYT Connections?
Connections is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times. Players sort 16 words into four groups of four, with each group linked by a shared idea.
The categories range from straightforward to slippery, and words can seem to fit more than one group—so spotting a tempting overlap is part of the challenge.
How to play NYT Connections
- Choose four words you think share a connection, then submit them as a group.
- Find all four groups of four words to solve the puzzle.
- Use the shuffle option to rearrange the board if a different layout helps you spot a link.
- Be careful with guesses: the puzzle allows only a limited number of mistakes.
Past week’s NYT Connections answers
Missed a day? Full solutions from earlier this week, newest first.
Game #1229 — October 22
- 🟡 PARTS TO BE GRASPED: GRIP, HANDLE, HILT, KNOB
- 🟢 KINDS OF SCULPTURES: BUST, MOBILE, RELIEF, STATUE
- 🔵 AMERICAN FOOTBALL POSITIONS: END, GUARD, SAFETY, TACKLE
- 🟣 STARTS OF BEDDING: BLANK, COMFORT, PILL, SHE
Game #1228 — October 21
- 🟡 CLASSIC CHILDREN’S GAMES: DUCK DUCK GOOSE, HOT POTATO, LEAPFROG, MUSICAL CHAIRS
- 🟢 IMPORTANT PERSON: ALPHA DOG, BIG CHEESE, HEAVYWEIGHT, TOP BANANA
- 🔵 FAMOUS PAINTINGS: AMERICAN GOTHIC, CAMPBELL’S SOUP CAN, SUNFLOWERS, THE SCREAM
- 🟣 DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION): ENGLISH HORN, GRAPE-NUTS, MANTIS SHRIMP, SWEETBREAD
Game #1227 — October 20
- 🟡 FINISH: CLOSE, END, STOP, WRAP
- 🟢 LACKEY: MINION, POODLE, PUPPET, STOOGE
- 🔵 MUSTACHES: CHEVRON, HORSESHOE, PENCIL, WALRUS
- 🟣 HOMOPHONES OF DISNEY CHARACTERS: ARIAL, BELL, DOCK, MINI
Game #1226 — October 19
- 🟡 SEETHE: BOIL, FUME, RAVE, STEAM
- 🟢 ALL TALK: BLATHER, GAS, HOT AIR, WIND
- 🔵 “MC” THINGS AT MCDONALD’S: FLURRY, MUFFIN, NUGGETS, RIB
- 🟣 ENDING IN BIRDS: ALIBIS, BALLOON, ESCROW, MOHAWK
Game #1225 — October 18
- 🟡 PLACES TO STORE CLOTHES: BUREAU, CHEST, TRUNK, WARDROBE
- 🟢 THINGS THAT COME IN STICKS: BUTTER, DEODORANT, DYNAMITE, INCENSE
- 🔵 FAMOUS PERFUMES: ANGEL, COCO, OBSESSION, OPIUM
- 🟣 STARTING WITH THINGS THAT CLOUD THE AIR: FOGERTY, HAZEL, MISTER, VAPORETTO
Game #1224 — October 17
- 🟡 DIGITAL NOTIFICATIONS: ALERT, CHIME, DING, PING
- 🟢 PHOTO: PRINT, SHOT, SNAP, STILL
- 🔵 KINDS OF CRABS: FIDDLER, HERMIT, KING, SNOW
- 🟣 LA ___: BOHÈME, BREA, PAZ, SCALA
More daily puzzle help from HashTechWave
- Today’s NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers
- Today’s NYT Spelling Bee answers and pangram
- Today’s Wordle hints, clues and answer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle unlock?
A brand-new puzzle drops every single night at midnight local time across your specific region’s time zone on NYT Connection official site.
Why do some words seem to fit into two different groups?
The puzzle is specifically designed to include “decoys” or overlapping vocabulary. Always look for a backup configuration of words before locking in an early guess to protect your attempt counter.
Can I review answers to older puzzles?
Yes — we keep the past week of solutions right here on this page. Scroll up to the “Past week’s NYT Connections answers” section for every recent grid, newest first, plus a full breakdown of yesterday’s puzzle.
