MEDIUMPuzzle #1236

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1236) – Today's Puzzle, Oct 29

TODAY'S NYT CONNECTIONS TIP

“Start by identifying THINGS YOU PUT COINS INTO (PARKING METER, PAYPHONE...) to narrow down the remaining 16-word grid!”

Written by Naveed Ahmed · Updated: October 29, 2026

← Yesterday's Connections Hint (#1235, Oct 28)

Connections Hint for Each Word Today

Tap any word to see its Connections hint — what it means in today's puzzle, no spoilers.

PARKING METER hint: In the context of things you put coins into, "PARKING METER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PAYPHONE hint: In the context of things you put coins into, "PAYPHONE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PIGGY BANK hint: In the context of things you put coins into, "PIGGY BANK" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

WISHING WELL hint: In the context of things you put coins into, "WISHING WELL" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ANTARCTICA hint: In the context of associated with penguins, "ANTARCTICA" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

EMPEROR hint: In the context of associated with penguins, "EMPEROR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TUXEDO hint: In the context of associated with penguins, "TUXEDO" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

WADDLE hint: In the context of associated with penguins, "WADDLE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

GOTHIC hint: In the context of ends of famous fonts, "GOTHIC" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ROMAN hint: In the context of ends of famous fonts, "ROMAN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SANS hint: In the context of ends of famous fonts, "SANS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TYPEWRITER hint: In the context of ends of famous fonts, "TYPEWRITER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CALICO hint: In the context of feature three colors, "CALICO" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CANDY CORN hint: In the context of feature three colors, "CANDY CORN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NEAPOLITAN hint: In the context of feature three colors, "NEAPOLITAN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TRAFFIC LIGHT hint: In the context of feature three colors, "TRAFFIC LIGHT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

Hints uncovered0 / 16

Today's NYT Connections Hints for All Four Categories

Reveal progressively: see the category hint first, then the group name, then individual words — stop whenever you have enough.

🟡 Straightforward

🟢 Medium

🔵 Hard

🟣 Tricky

⚠️Traps & Misdirects Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle

Today’s Connections puzzle includes words intentionally placed to misdirect you into wrong groups. These traps and misdirects hints reveal which words are designed to mislead, so you don’t burn your 4 allowed mistakes on deliberate decoys.

ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE

In today's medium category (ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS), pay close attention to subtle shifts in meaning. Words like ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE may appear to belong to other everyday contexts, but their true connection lies in their shared relationship to ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS.

CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT

The trickiest grouping today is "THINGS THAT FEATURE THREE COLORS". Words such as CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT are designed as intentional misdirects. Look past their obvious surface meanings for hidden wordplay or secondary definitions.

GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER

Be careful with overlap between GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER and other categories on the board. The editor often places decoy pairings in "ENDS OF FAMOUS FONTS" to trap unsuspecting players into using up their 4 allowed mistakes.

Today's NYT Connections Answers

Click to reveal the complete solution — all four categories.

Category: THINGS YOU PUT COINS INTO (Straightforward) — Answers: PARKING METER, PAYPHONE, PIGGY BANK, WISHING WELL

Category: ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS (Medium) — Answers: ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE

Category: ENDS OF FAMOUS FONTS (Hard) — Answers: GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER

Category: THINGS THAT FEATURE THREE COLORS (Tricky) — Answers: CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT

Today's NYT Connections Answers Explained

THINGS YOU PUT COINS INTO

The words PARKING METER, PAYPHONE, PIGGY BANK, WISHING WELL all share a unique thematic connection as things you put coins into.

PARKING METER

In the context of things you put coins into, "PARKING METER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PAYPHONE

In the context of things you put coins into, "PAYPHONE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PIGGY BANK

In the context of things you put coins into, "PIGGY BANK" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

WISHING WELL

In the context of things you put coins into, "WISHING WELL" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS

The words ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE all share a unique thematic connection as associated with penguins.

ANTARCTICA

In the context of associated with penguins, "ANTARCTICA" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

EMPEROR

In the context of associated with penguins, "EMPEROR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TUXEDO

In the context of associated with penguins, "TUXEDO" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

WADDLE

In the context of associated with penguins, "WADDLE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ENDS OF FAMOUS FONTS

The words GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER all share a unique thematic connection as ends of famous fonts.

GOTHIC

In the context of ends of famous fonts, "GOTHIC" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ROMAN

In the context of ends of famous fonts, "ROMAN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SANS

In the context of ends of famous fonts, "SANS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TYPEWRITER

In the context of ends of famous fonts, "TYPEWRITER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

THINGS THAT FEATURE THREE COLORS

The words CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT all share a unique thematic connection as things that feature three colors.

CALICO

In the context of feature three colors, "CALICO" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CANDY CORN

In the context of feature three colors, "CANDY CORN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NEAPOLITAN

In the context of feature three colors, "NEAPOLITAN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TRAFFIC LIGHT

In the context of feature three colors, "TRAFFIC LIGHT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

What Makes Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Tricky?

ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE sit alongside GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER and phrases like CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT — a collision of distinct word groups and subtle misdirects.

The editor's sharpest trick is hiding a word-within-a-word: some of the multi-word phrases are not grouped by their topic but by what their first word secretly means.

How to Use Connections Hints

Everyone playing NYT Connections puzzle gets stuck at a different point. Some players can’t figure out a single word. Others have three groups solved and can’t find the fourth. Where you are stuck determines which connection hint you need.

A word in the puzzle has an unfamiliar meaning

Some words in today’s NYT Connections puzzle are uncommon. Connections editor Wyna Liu often uses words with specific or less familiar meanings, particularly in the green, blue, and purple categories. If you don’t know what a word means, you cannot reliably place it in a group.

Recommendation: Use the Word Hint. It tells you what the word means in the context of today’s puzzle. Tap any word directly on the board above to see its hint.

No groups are forming after reading all sixteen words

The connection between words is often not obvious from their meanings alone — categories are built around themes that require a specific angle to see. These category-level clues are the most useful hints.

Recommendation: Use the Category Hint. It points you toward the theme of a category without revealing the category name or which words belong to it. Tap “Yellow Category Hint” first.

You have a possible group but aren’t ready to guess

You think four words belong together but you’re not confident enough to guess. If you’re unsure, don’t guess yet — a wrong guess costs you one of your four mistakes.

Recommendation: Use the Category Name. It reveals the exact name of the category without showing you which words belong to it.

One word seems to fit more than one group

You have built a group of four words but one word in it could also fit somewhere else. NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu deliberately places misleading words on the board.

Recommendation: Use the Traps and Misdirects Hints. It identifies the specific misleading words in today’s puzzle and explains why they don’t belong where you think they do.

You know the category but can’t find all four words

You have identified the theme of a category but can’t find all four words that belong to it.

Recommendation: Use the Word Reveal. It uncovers one masked word at a time without revealing the full group. This is the most precise connection hint available.

One mistake left with two groups unsolved

You have one mistake remaining and two groups unsolved. If you guess wrong here, the game ends and NYT reveals all the answers automatically.

Recommendation: Do not guess yet. Use the Category Name for both remaining groups first. If that is still not enough, tap “Category Words” and reveal one word at a time.

You want today’s answers without solving the puzzle

Use the Answers section. It shows all four category names and the four words that belong to each one.

Recommendation: Go to the Answers section.

The puzzle is over but a category still doesn’t make sense

You can see the four groups and their words but the connection between them isn’t clear.

Recommendation: Use the Answer Explanation. It tells you exactly what connects the words in each category and why each individual word belongs there.

Browse Past Puzzles

View answers and hints for every previous NYT Connections puzzle.

Puzzle Archive →

Frequently Asked Questions

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle by The New York Times where you group 16 words into 4 categories of 4 words each. Each category has a hidden theme color-coded by difficulty.

Yellow is the most straightforward category, Green is medium difficulty, Blue is harder, and Purple contains the trickiest, most misleading groupings.

Yes, NYT Connections is free to play once per day on the New York Times Games website.

A new NYT Connections puzzle releases every day at midnight in your local time zone (12:00 AM ET for US Eastern Time).

Naveed Ahmed

@NaveedAhmedDev•@naveedcolab

Lead Writer & Connections Puzzle Analyst

Naveed is a dedicated puzzle strategist and word game analyst who breaks down daily NYT Connections categories, uncovers tricky wordplay patterns, and delivers progressive, spoiler-free clues to help thousands of players solve every puzzle.