Connections #1213 for October 6, 2026 asks you to look past the most obvious reading of several familiar-looking entries. Some connections rely on recognizing a name, while others reward close attention to spelling.
Keep a candidate set tentative until its rule accounts for every entry. A broad theme can seem convincing at first, but the intended connection should work with the exact words on the board.
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.
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Connections hints (no spoilers)
Yellow
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Short names used in the world of investment.
Green
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Furniture you can sit in, identified by style or design.
Blue
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Each can lead into the same three-letter lodging word.
Purple
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Words for aptitude are concealed at the right-hand edge.
Connections answers — October 6, 2026
Yellow Short names used in the world of investment. Reveal group Hide group
FINANCIAL FIRMS, FOR SHORT
- BERKSHIRE
- CITI
- GOLDMAN
- MERRILL
These are shortened names of financial firms: Berkshire Hathaway, Citi, Goldman Sachs and Merrill. They are familiar name forms, rather than a promise that each tile is the complete formal legal name of a business.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen Furniture you can sit in, identified by style or design. Reveal group Hide group
KINDS OF CHAIRS
- ADIRONDACK
- EAMES
- WINDSOR
- WINGBACK
Each tile names a kind or design of chair: Adirondack, Eames, Windsor and wingback. The names do not all describe furniture in the same way; a design name can sit beside a style name in this category.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue Each can lead into the same three-letter lodging word. Reveal group Hide group
___ INN HOTELS
- COMFORT
- DAYS
- HAMPTON
- HOLIDAY
Adding INN after each tile produces hotel names: Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn. The shared completion is INN, even though the brands belong to different hotel groups.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple Words for aptitude are concealed at the right-hand edge. Reveal group Hide group
ENDING IN TALENTS
- CATSKILL
- KNICKKNACK
- PIANOFORTE
- STABILITY
Each tile ends in a word for talent or aptitude: catSKILL, knickKNACK, pianoFORTE and stABILITY. The endings differ in length, and the operation concerns spelling rather than the full words' origins.
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
FINANCIAL FIRMS, FOR SHORT
These are shortened names of financial firms: Berkshire Hathaway, Citi, Goldman Sachs and Merrill. They are familiar name forms, rather than a promise that each tile is the complete formal legal name of a business.
- BERKSHIRE
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BERKSHIRE points to Berkshire Hathaway. The tile uses the shortened firm reference, rather than a geographic reading of the name.
- CITI
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CITI is the financial brand name used in this set. Its spelling with a final I matters; the tile is not the ordinary word CITY.
- GOLDMAN
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GOLDMAN points to Goldman Sachs. The short name supplies the financial-firm connection without requiring the second part of the company name on the tile.
- MERRILL
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MERRILL is the financial-services name used by the tile. Read it as a firm reference rather than as an unrelated personal name.
Green
KINDS OF CHAIRS
Each tile names a kind or design of chair: Adirondack, Eames, Windsor and wingback. The names do not all describe furniture in the same way; a design name can sit beside a style name in this category.
- ADIRONDACK
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ADIRONDACK names a type of outdoor chair. The furniture sense is the intended link, rather than a geographic association with the word.
- EAMES
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EAMES points to chair designs associated with Charles and Ray Eames. It is a designer name in the category, not one universal chair shape.
- WINDSOR
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WINDSOR names a chair style associated with a spindle back. The tile belongs through that furniture sense rather than through another place or family name.
- WINGBACK
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WINGBACK names a chair with side pieces, or wings, beside its back. Those furniture features explain the term; it is not a reference to a playing position.
Blue
___ INN HOTELS
Adding INN after each tile produces hotel names: Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn. The shared completion is INN, even though the brands belong to different hotel groups.
- COMFORT
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COMFORT becomes COMFORT INN. The hotel-name reading fits the shared completion, rather than the general idea of feeling comfortable.
- DAYS
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DAYS becomes DAYS INN. Keep the plural-looking spelling on the official tile; it is part of the brand phrase formed with INN.
- HAMPTON
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HAMPTON becomes HAMPTON INN. The complete hotel name explains why it belongs with the other three tiles, rather than a place-name association.
- HOLIDAY
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HOLIDAY becomes HOLIDAY INN. Its role here is the first word of the hotel name, not a general link to vacations.
Purple
ENDING IN TALENTS
Each tile ends in a word for talent or aptitude: catSKILL, knickKNACK, pianoFORTE and stABILITY. The endings differ in length, and the operation concerns spelling rather than the full words' origins.
- CATSKILL
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CATSKILL ends with SKILL: CAT + SKILL. The last five letters name an ability, which is the part needed for the hidden-ending connection.
- KNICKKNACK
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KNICKKNACK ends with KNACK: KNICK + KNACK. A knack is an aptitude, while the complete tile has a different everyday meaning.
- PIANOFORTE
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PIANOFORTE ends with FORTE: PIANO + FORTE. FORTE can mean a strong point or talent, which supplies the ending used in this set.
- STABILITY
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STABILITY ends with ABILITY: ST + ABILITY. The final seven letters form the talent-related word without rearranging or removing any letters inside it.
How difficult is this puzzle?
Name recognition can make the first part of this board quick, while unfamiliar design or brand references may slow it down. The final set becomes clearer when you test complete word endings instead of grouping by surface meanings.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
What word completes the four hotel names?
INN follows COMFORT, DAYS, HAMPTON and HOLIDAY. The completed names are Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn.
Does EAMES describe a single chair shape?
No. EAMES is a design name associated with Charles and Ray Eames and their furniture. The category accepts that name alongside chair types such as ADIRONDACK and WINGBACK.
Why does PIANOFORTE belong in the talents group?
Its final five letters spell FORTE, which can mean a person's strong point. The connection does not require the complete word PIANOFORTE to mean a talent.
Where is ABILITY inside STABILITY?
ABILITY is the complete ending: ST + ABILITY. It begins after the first two letters and continues to the end, so the rule requires no anagram or internal deletion.
Are the financial tiles complete company names?
Not in every case. The official category explicitly allows short forms, including BERKSHIRE for Berkshire Hathaway and GOLDMAN for Goldman Sachs.