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#1238

NYT Connections hints & answer

Connections gives you 16 words to sort into four hidden groups of four, ranked from easiest (yellow) to trickiest (purple). Four wrong guesses end the puzzle — and many words look like they fit more than one category on purpose.

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✅ Updated today · October 31, 2026

Compiled by the AAH7 Editorial Team · checked against the sources below · last checked October 31, 2026 · how we test

Hints — one at a time

Hint 1 of 5

Today's board moves from slang words that sound negative but actually mean something is great, to ways you might order a martini, to objects that have strings attached, and finally to words beginning with commands you'd give a dog.

Hint 2 of 5

Yellow (easiest): each of these sounds negative but is actually slang for something excellent.

Hint 3 of 5

Green: each of these is a way to specify how you want a martini made.

Hint 4 of 5

Blue: each of these is an object that has strings as part of its design.

Hint 5 of 5

Purple (hardest): each of these begins with a command you might give a dog — Down, Shake, Sit, Stay.

The answer — spoilers!

Reveal the full answer

  • yellow

    Words Meaning Good That Sound Bad

    GNARLY · KILLER · SICK · WICKED

  • green

    Martini Specifications

    DIRTY · DRY · SHAKEN · UP

  • blue

    Things With Strings

    GUITAR · MARIONETTE · TASSEL · TENNIS RACKET

  • purple

    Starting With Dog Commands

    DOWNFALL · SHAKESPEARE · SITCOM · STAYCATION

A solved Connections-style board: sixteen word tiles sorted into four coloured rows of four — fruits, gemstones, instruments and planets
A solved Connections grid: four groups of four, one colour each. Example board, not today’s puzzle.

FAQ

Is this the NYT Connections answer for today?

Yes — this page always shows our latest NYT Connections entry (#1238), dated 2026-10-31, and it updates every morning. Earlier days are archived and linked below.

Are the hints spoiler-safe?

Hints are progressive and hidden behind a tap — open them one at a time and stop as soon as you've got enough. The full answer stays hidden until you open it separately.

How do you make sure the answer is correct?

Where the puzzle's publisher makes the day's solution available we take it from there; otherwise at least two independently published sources have to agree before we publish — see how we test for the full process.

Previous days

Want the strategy, not just today's answer? Read our NYT Connections strategy guide.