Connections #1214 for October 7, 2026 brings together short everyday entries and some more specialized vocabulary. The intended link may depend on how an entry is used rather than its most familiar meaning.
Work with a consistent rule and check the full set before submitting it. If a familiar association accounts for only part of a possible group, keep looking for the more precise connection.
Start with the gentle clues if you want a nudge. The closed answer panels below reveal the sets, explain every tile and address the less obvious relationships.
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Connections hints (no spoilers)
Yellow
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Put something aside for future use.
Green
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Sweet rolls and bread made for sandwiches.
Blue
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Their opening elements express quantities from one to four.
Purple
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Put BEST before each to name theatre-award categories.
Connections answers — October 7, 2026
Yellow Put something aside for future use. Reveal group Hide group
SAVE FOR LATER
- BANK
- SQUIRREL
- STASH
- STORE
These verbs can refer to saving something for later use. SQUIRREL is especially familiar in SQUIRREL AWAY; the link is the act of keeping something in reserve rather than a shared type of container.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen Sweet rolls and bread made for sandwiches. Reveal group Hide group
KINDS OF BUNS
- CINNAMON
- HAMBURGER
- HOT DOG
- STICKY
Every tile can modify BUN: cinnamon bun, hamburger bun, hot dog bun and sticky bun. The category includes both sweet baked goods and bread used to hold a savory filling.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue Their opening elements express quantities from one to four. Reveal group Hide group
GREEK NUMERICAL PREFIXES
- DICHOTOMY
- MONOLOGUE
- TETRACYCLINE
- TRIDENT
The numerical beginnings are DI- for two, MONO- for one, TETRA- for four and TRI- for three. The link is the numbers represented by the prefixes, rather than a claim that every complete word has the same linguistic origin.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple Put BEST before each to name theatre-award categories. Reveal group Hide group
BEST ___ TONY AWARDS
- CHOREOGRAPHY
- MUSICAL
- ORCHESTRATIONS
- PLAY
Each tile completes the title of a Tony Award category after BEST: Best Choreography, Best Musical, Best Orchestrations and Best Play. The set mixes awards for whole productions with awards for creative work.
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
SAVE FOR LATER
These verbs can refer to saving something for later use. SQUIRREL is especially familiar in SQUIRREL AWAY; the link is the act of keeping something in reserve rather than a shared type of container.
- BANK
-
BANK can mean to save or accumulate something for future use. The tile is a verb in this group rather than the name of a financial institution.
- SQUIRREL
-
SQUIRREL appears in SQUIRREL AWAY, meaning to save or hide something for later. The verbal use matters here, rather than the animal itself.
- STASH
-
STASH means to put something away, often somewhere concealed, for later use. The saving action connects it to the other verbs.
- STORE
-
STORE means to keep something for future use. Read it as a verb rather than as the noun for a shop or a supply of goods.
Green
KINDS OF BUNS
Every tile can modify BUN: cinnamon bun, hamburger bun, hot dog bun and sticky bun. The category includes both sweet baked goods and bread used to hold a savory filling.
- CINNAMON
-
CINNAMON gives CINNAMON BUN, a sweet baked item named for its spice. It fits the shared BUN completion rather than a general seasonings category.
- HAMBURGER
-
HAMBURGER gives HAMBURGER BUN, bread used to hold the burger filling. The tile identifies a kind of bun even though the full sandwich includes other ingredients.
- HOT DOG
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HOT DOG gives HOT DOG BUN, the bread used to hold a hot dog. Both words on the tile stay together before the shared completion.
- STICKY
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STICKY gives STICKY BUN, a sweet bun with a sticky topping. The adjective forms an established food name rather than merely describing any tacky surface.
Blue
GREEK NUMERICAL PREFIXES
The numerical beginnings are DI- for two, MONO- for one, TETRA- for four and TRI- for three. The link is the numbers represented by the prefixes, rather than a claim that every complete word has the same linguistic origin.
- DICHOTOMY
-
DICHOTOMY starts with DI-, the numerical element meaning two. The category focuses on that opening, which fits a division into two parts.
- MONOLOGUE
-
MONOLOGUE starts with MONO-, meaning one or single. Its opening numerical element, rather than a connection to another performing-art term, places it here.
- TETRACYCLINE
-
TETRACYCLINE starts with TETRA-, the element meaning four. The specialist full word can be unfamiliar, but the same numerical-prefix rule applies to its beginning.
- TRIDENT
-
TRIDENT starts with TRI-, meaning three. Its three-pronged sense makes the numerical opening particularly visible, without requiring an anagram.
Purple
BEST ___ TONY AWARDS
Each tile completes the title of a Tony Award category after BEST: Best Choreography, Best Musical, Best Orchestrations and Best Play. The set mixes awards for whole productions with awards for creative work.
- CHOREOGRAPHY
-
CHOREOGRAPHY follows BEST to give BEST CHOREOGRAPHY, a Tony Award category recognizing the work of arranging movement and dance for a production.
- MUSICAL
-
MUSICAL follows BEST to give BEST MUSICAL. It names an award for a production, rather than requiring every tile in the set to be a kind of show.
- ORCHESTRATIONS
-
ORCHESTRATIONS follows BEST to give BEST ORCHESTRATIONS. The plural spelling is part of the award category, so it should not be changed to a singular.
- PLAY
-
PLAY follows BEST to give BEST PLAY. The complete award-category title links it to MUSICAL, CHOREOGRAPHY and ORCHESTRATIONS.
How difficult is this puzzle?
The concrete food group may be a useful starting point, while the specialist references can require a second look. The spelling-based connection uses meaningful opening elements, but the complete entries do not need to describe one shared topic.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
Why does SQUIRREL fit with saving verbs?
SQUIRREL works as a verb in SQUIRREL AWAY, meaning to keep or hide something for later. The intended reading is the action, not an animal category.
What numerical elements begin the blue-group tiles?
DICHOTOMY begins DI- for two, MONOLOGUE begins MONO- for one, TETRACYCLINE begins TETRA- for four, and TRIDENT begins TRI- for three.
Do the numerical-prefix words share one subject?
No. Their surface meanings come from different areas. The connection is the numerical element at the beginning of each exact tile, rather than a claim about a shared origin for all four complete words.
Why is ORCHESTRATIONS plural in the answer?
The award-category title is Best Orchestrations. The official tile preserves that plural; replacing it with ORCHESTRATION would change the answer.
Are all the Tony entries types of theatre productions?
No. Best Musical and Best Play recognize productions, while Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations recognize particular creative contributions. BEST completes all four category titles.
Sources & further reading
Sources & further reading
- The New York Times — Connections
- etymonline.com — trident
- Merriam-Webster: tri-
- Merriam-Webster: di-
- Merriam-Webster: mon- / mono-
- Merriam-Webster: tetra-
- Tony Awards: Rules and Regulations