Connections #1208 for October 1, 2026 rewards a careful second look at familiar vocabulary. Several short entries allow more than one reading, so a plausible first association may need checking.
Start with a set you can explain consistently, then test every remaining entry against the same rule. A group should account for all its members without stretching one definition to make it fit.
Choose a gentle clue below when you want a nudge. Open the separate closed panels for the exact groups and an explanation of every tile.
Playing The Athletic's sports puzzle? Sports Edition hints and explanations.
Connections hints (no spoilers)
Yellow
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Give something a particular location.
Green
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Dimensions used when fitting a formal top.
Blue
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Add the same article to get names in indie music.
Purple
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Beginnings of titles on a newspaper puzzle page.
Connections answers — October 1, 2026
Yellow Give something a particular location. Reveal group Hide group
PUT
- PLACE
- POSITION
- SITUATE
- STICK
Each word can function as a verb meaning to put something somewhere. The shared sense is about locating an object, even though several tiles also have unrelated noun meanings.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen Dimensions used when fitting a formal top. Reveal group Hide group
DRESS SHIRT MEASUREMENTS
- CHEST
- NECK
- SLEEVE
- WAIST
These are measurements relevant to fitting a dress shirt. Some describe the body and others the garment length; the connection is their use as fit dimensions, not one shared unit or sizing system.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue Add the same article to get names in indie music. Reveal group Hide group
2000S INDIE ROCK BANDS, WITH "THE"
- DECEMBERISTS
- NATIONAL
- SHINS
- WALKMEN
Putting THE before each tile gives the name of a band associated with 2000s indie rock: The Decemberists, The National, The Shins and The Walkmen. The category describes the musical era; it does not say all four formed during that decade.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple Beginnings of titles on a newspaper puzzle page. Reveal group Hide group
STARTS OF NYT PRINT PUZZLES
- ACRO
- CROSS
- KEN
- SUD
The tiles are initial letter sequences of puzzle names: ACRO starts ACROSTIC, CROSS starts CROSSWORD, KEN starts KENKEN, and SUD starts SUDOKU. They are spelling fragments, not four abbreviations of the same length.
Read this group’s word explanationsWhy these words fit
Read explanations
Full spoilers below: a closer look at every group and the wordplay behind it.
Yellow
PUT
Each word can function as a verb meaning to put something somewhere. The shared sense is about locating an object, even though several tiles also have unrelated noun meanings.
- PLACE
-
To PLACE something is to put it in a particular spot. Read the tile as a verb here, rather than as the noun for a location.
- POSITION
-
To POSITION an object is to put it in a chosen location or arrangement. That action supplies the same placement sense as the other three verbs.
- SITUATE
-
To SITUATE something is to put or establish it in a particular place. The group uses that locating sense rather than a description of circumstances.
- STICK
-
To STICK something somewhere can mean to put it there, as in putting a note on a desk. Adhesion is not required for this informal placement sense.
Green
DRESS SHIRT MEASUREMENTS
These are measurements relevant to fitting a dress shirt. Some describe the body and others the garment length; the connection is their use as fit dimensions, not one shared unit or sizing system.
- CHEST
-
CHEST is a shirt-fitting measurement around the upper torso. Its role here is a dimension used to assess how the shirt fits across that area.
- NECK
-
NECK is the measurement used to fit the shirt collar around the neck. It belongs with garment sizing rather than with another meaning of the body-part word.
- SLEEVE
-
SLEEVE refers to the length measurement used to fit the shirt sleeves. It joins the other dimensions because it helps determine the appropriate fit.
- WAIST
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WAIST is a measurement around the midsection that affects the fit of the shirt body. It is included as a sizing dimension rather than as an item of clothing.
Blue
2000S INDIE ROCK BANDS, WITH "THE"
Putting THE before each tile gives the name of a band associated with 2000s indie rock: The Decemberists, The National, The Shins and The Walkmen. The category describes the musical era; it does not say all four formed during that decade.
- DECEMBERISTS
-
DECEMBERISTS becomes The Decemberists when the shared article is restored. The intended reading is the band name, rather than an interpretation based on the calendar month.
- NATIONAL
-
NATIONAL becomes The National. It is a proper band name in this set, even though the tile can look like an ordinary adjective on its own.
- SHINS
-
SHINS becomes The Shins. The group uses that complete band name, not the everyday plural for the fronts of the lower legs.
- WALKMEN
-
WALKMEN becomes The Walkmen. Adding the same article used by the other three entries supplies the intended band name.
Purple
STARTS OF NYT PRINT PUZZLES
The tiles are initial letter sequences of puzzle names: ACRO starts ACROSTIC, CROSS starts CROSSWORD, KEN starts KENKEN, and SUD starts SUDOKU. They are spelling fragments, not four abbreviations of the same length.
- ACRO
-
ACRO supplies the first four letters of ACROSTIC. The connection uses the beginning of that puzzle name, rather than treating the tile as a complete word.
- CROSS
-
CROSS supplies the first five letters of CROSSWORD. Its ordinary meaning is a distraction from its role as the start of a puzzle title.
- KEN
-
KEN supplies the first three letters of KENKEN. The full puzzle name repeats that segment; the tile itself includes only the opening half.
- SUD
-
SUD supplies the first three letters of SUDOKU. No sound change or anagram is needed: it is the title's literal opening sequence.
How difficult is this puzzle?
The last two sets may depend more on recognition and spelling than on everyday definitions. A few entries also have ordinary meanings that can distract from the intended use; confirming all four members is more useful than following a single familiar word.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
Why is STICK grouped with placement verbs?
STICK can informally mean to put something in a place, as in sticking a bag in a cupboard. The connection does not require the object to adhere to a surface.
Does the band category say all four bands formed in the 2000s?
No. Its wording places the bands in a 2000s indie-rock context. The shared operation is adding THE to each tile to recover the complete band name.
What do ACRO, CROSS, KEN and SUD become?
They begin ACROSTIC, CROSSWORD, KENKEN and SUDOKU respectively. The lengths differ, so applying one fixed number of missing letters would not explain the set.
Are the short puzzle-name tiles complete answers by themselves?
Yes. Keep the tiles exactly as supplied on the board. The longer puzzle names explain the relationship; they do not replace the official answer tiles.
Sources & further reading
Sources & further reading
- The New York Times — Connections
- The Decemberists official site
- The National artist Bandcamp
- The Shins on Sub Pop Records
- The Walkmen on Fat Possum Records