NYT Connections — October 21, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Today's board moves from classic playground games, to slang for an important or influential person, to iconic works of art, and finally to phrases where both words are misleading.
Hint 2 of 5
Yellow (easiest): each of these is a traditional game children play, often at parties or recess.
Hint 3 of 5
Green: each of these is a slang term for someone who is especially important or influential.
Hint 4 of 5
Blue: each of these is the title of a famous painting.
Hint 5 of 5
Purple (hardest): each of these is a two-word term where neither word actually describes what it is.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
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
This puzzle by the numbers
- Double Misnomers (Neither Word Is An Accurate Description)
- CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN
Counted from our own archive of NYT Connections answers — not published anywhere else.
