NYT Connections Game #1217 for October 10 asks you to sort 16 words into four hidden groups—and one odd-looking entry may be the key to the trickiest set.
Writing terms offer a natural foothold, but some words can plausibly pull your attention in more than one direction. Here are hints first, then the full answers and analysis.
SPOILER WARNING: Hints, group titles and answers for today’s Connections follow.
Today’s NYT Connections words
Today’s 16 words, in board order:
- OUTLINE | SHADOW | FEED | FIGURE
- DRAFT | IMAGINE | KICK | NOTIFICATIONS
- GATHER | NOTES | UN | MESSAGES
- BEAT | SUPPOSE | PROFILE | THESIS
Today’s NYT Connections hints
Need a nudge without the group titles? Try these:
- 🟡 Yellow: Look for four things that can help you develop and organize an academic assignment.
- 🟢 Green: These four verbs express treating something as likely or true without being certain.
- 🔵 Blue: Think of distinct areas or tools you might find on a social platform.
- 🟣 Purple: Each word completes a familiar compound when paired with the same word.
Today’s NYT Connections group titles
- 🟡 Yellow: USEFUL WHEN WRITING A PAPER
- 🟢 Green: PRESUME
- 🔵 Blue: SOCIAL MEDIA SECTIONS
- 🟣 Purple: ___BOXING
What are today’s NYT Connections answers?
Here are the four solved groups, from easiest to hardest:
| Colour | Group | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 Yellow | USEFUL WHEN WRITING A PAPER | DRAFT, NOTES, OUTLINE, THESIS |
| 🟢 Green | PRESUME | FIGURE, GATHER, IMAGINE, SUPPOSE |
| 🔵 Blue | SOCIAL MEDIA SECTIONS | FEED, MESSAGES, NOTIFICATIONS, PROFILE |
| 🟣 Purple | ___BOXING | BEAT, KICK, SHADOW, UN |
Today’s Connections — expert analysis
The paper-writing group is the cleanest entry point: DRAFT, NOTES, OUTLINE and THESIS make a coherent set without much stretching. If you’re stuck, try those four as your first safe guess; spotting that group also clears room to consider the less literal connections.
The purple group is the hardest because its words look unrelated until you supply the shared ending: BEAT, KICK, SHADOW and UN each complete “___BOXING.” UN is especially easy to overlook as a standalone piece of that pattern, while the other three can initially read as ordinary words with separate meanings.
There are smaller overlaps to resist, too: FIGURE can sound like something found in a paper, and MESSAGES and NOTIFICATIONS both suggest incoming communication. For the green set, read FIGURE and GATHER as ways of reaching a conclusion, alongside IMAGINE and SUPPOSE, rather than letting the writing or social-media groups claim them.
Difficulty: 3.5/5 — the paper terms are a friendly start, but the disconnected-looking ___BOXING set demands a leap.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Game #1216)
Yesterday’s Game #1216 ranged from a decisive win to four ways to complete “AIR ___.”
- 🟡 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
What is NYT Connections?
Connections is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times. You sort 16 words into four groups of four, with each group linked by a shared idea.
The groups are color-coded by difficulty, from yellow as the easiest to purple as the hardest. The challenge is that words can look as though they belong together for more than one reason.
How to play NYT Connections
- Look across the 16 words and identify four that share a connection.
- Select those four words and submit your guess; the aim is to find all four groups.
- Use the color-coded difficulty as a guide, and watch for words that could fit more than one pattern.
Past week’s NYT Connections answers
Missed a day? Full solutions from earlier this week, newest first.
Game #1215 — October 8
- 🟡 FOLLOWS, AS RULES: HEEDS, MINDS, REGARDS, RESPECTS
- 🟢 OUTDO: BEST, ECLIPSE, SURPASS, TOP
- 🔵 THINGS THAT COME IN THREES: CHEERS, STOOGES, STRIKES, WISHES
- 🟣 ENDING IN ACTORS NAMED TOM: AUTOCRUISE, FOOLHARDY, MULHOLLAND, THANKS
Game #1214 — October 7
- 🟡 SAVE FOR LATER: BANK, SQUIRREL, STASH, STORE
- 🟢 KINDS OF BUNS: CINNAMON, HAMBURGER, HOT DOG, STICKY
- 🔵 GREEK NUMERICAL PREFIXES: DICHOTOMY, MONOLOGUE, TETRACYCLINE, TRIDENT
- 🟣 BEST ___ TONY AWARDS: CHOREOGRAPHY, MUSICAL, ORCHESTRATIONS, PLAY
Game #1213 — October 6
- 🟡 FINANCIAL FIRMS, FOR SHORT: BERKSHIRE, CITI, GOLDMAN, MERRILL
- 🟢 KINDS OF CHAIRS: ADIRONDACK, EAMES, WINDSOR, WINGBACK
- 🔵 ___ INN HOTELS: COMFORT, DAYS, HAMPTON, HOLIDAY
- 🟣 ENDING IN TALENTS: CATSKILL, KNICKKNACK, PIANOFORTE, STABILITY
Game #1212 — October 5
- 🟡 CALM: CONTENT, PEACEFUL, PLACID, SERENE
- 🟢 ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT: EXPLICIT, GRAPHIC, STRONG, SUGGESTIVE
- 🔵 KINDS OF BOARDS: ADVISORY, CHESS, IRONING, MESSAGE
- 🟣 ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE: PARENT, PLEASE, SAPPHIRE, SLOAN
Game #1211 — October 4
- 🟡 CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT: BUNCH, HEAP, LOT, STACK
- 🟢 TABLE TENNIS NEEDS: BALL, NET, PADDLE, TABLE
- 🔵 PARTS OF A JUDGE COSTUME: COLLAR, GAVEL, ROBE, WIG
- 🟣 SILENT ___: AUCTION, FILM, PARTNER, TREATMENT
Game #1210 — October 3
- 🟡 STARTING WITH TERMS FOR “TOILET”: CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS
- 🟢 ENDING IN MUSICALS: ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED
- 🔵 STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS: BROAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON
- 🟣 ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES: DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX
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.
