This guide covers NYT Connections #1218 for October 11, 2026. Open a clue below when you need a nudge.
Check each proposed quartet against one precise relationship before committing. A promising pair is only a starting point.
Open the hints at your own pace. Stop when you have enough help, or reveal the answer panels when you are ready for the full explanations.
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Connections hints (no spoilers)
Yellow
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Bring a resource into practical service.
Green
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Regular household service charges.
Blue
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Possible contents of a small dashboard storage space.
Purple
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A strategic maneuver is hidden at the back of each.
Connections answers — October 11, 2026
Yellow Bring a resource into practical service. Reveal group Hide group
PUT TO USE
- APPLY
- HARNESS
- UTILIZE
- WIELD
These verbs describe putting something to use. The object may be a method, a tool, or a source of power; the shared action is making it serve a purpose rather than leaving it unused.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen Regular household service charges. Reveal group Hide group
MONTHLY BILLS
- CABLE
- ELECTRICITY
- INTERNET
- PHONE
These are services commonly associated with recurring household bills. Monthly is the everyday billing pattern suggested by the category, rather than a promise that every provider charges on the same schedule.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue Possible contents of a small dashboard storage space. Reveal group Hide group
THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND IN A GLOVE COMPARTMENT
- GLOVES
- ICE SCRAPER
- MAP
- REGISTRATION
These are things someone might keep in a vehicle's glove compartment: handwear, a winter window tool, a navigation aid, and a vehicle document. The title describes possible contents rather than a fixed list for every car.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple A strategic maneuver is hidden at the back of each. Reveal group Hide group
ENDING IN GAMBITS
- EMPLOY
- PATRICK
- PERUSE
- SYNTACTIC
The endings spell words for strategic moves or deceptive maneuvers: emPLOY, paTRICK, peRUSE, and synTACTIC. Read the final letters exactly; the full tiles are not themselves all synonyms for a gambit.
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 TO USE
These verbs describe putting something to use. The object may be a method, a tool, or a source of power; the shared action is making it serve a purpose rather than leaving it unused.
- APPLY
-
To APPLY a method or principle is to put it into practice. This use-focused reading connects the tile to the other verbs in the group.
- HARNESS
-
To HARNESS a resource is to bring it into useful service or direct it toward a purpose. The tile is a verb here, rather than equipment worn by an animal.
- UTILIZE
-
To UTILIZE something is to make use of it. It directly expresses the practical-use relationship shared by all four entries.
- WIELD
-
To WIELD a tool or power is to handle and use it. The verb fits the group whether its object is a physical instrument or influence.
Green
MONTHLY BILLS
These are services commonly associated with recurring household bills. Monthly is the everyday billing pattern suggested by the category, rather than a promise that every provider charges on the same schedule.
- CABLE
-
CABLE can name a cable television service for which a household receives a recurring bill. It uses the subscription-service sense rather than a wire itself.
- ELECTRICITY
-
ELECTRICITY is a household utility whose use commonly produces a recurring charge. The tile names the service associated with the bill.
- INTERNET
-
INTERNET refers to a household connectivity service in this grouping. The connection is its recurring service charge rather than a particular website.
- PHONE
-
PHONE refers to telephone service that may be billed regularly. The tile is associated with a household or personal service account, not merely the handset.
Blue
THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND IN A GLOVE COMPARTMENT
These are things someone might keep in a vehicle's glove compartment: handwear, a winter window tool, a navigation aid, and a vehicle document. The title describes possible contents rather than a fixed list for every car.
- GLOVES
-
GLOVES are hand coverings that a driver might keep within reach in the dashboard storage space. They also echo the compartment's familiar name.
- ICE SCRAPER
-
An ICE SCRAPER is a tool for clearing ice from vehicle windows. Its compact size makes it a plausible item to store in a glove compartment.
- MAP
-
A MAP can be kept in a car for navigation. A folded road map is a plausible occupant of the glove compartment even when a driver also uses digital directions.
- REGISTRATION
-
REGISTRATION means the vehicle's registration document. That paper is a plausible item to keep with other useful objects in the dashboard storage compartment.
Purple
ENDING IN GAMBITS
The endings spell words for strategic moves or deceptive maneuvers: emPLOY, paTRICK, peRUSE, and synTACTIC. Read the final letters exactly; the full tiles are not themselves all synonyms for a gambit.
- EMPLOY
-
EMPLOY ends with PLOY. That ending names a maneuver or scheme, providing the group's hidden connection independently of the full verb's meaning.
- PATRICK
-
PATRICK ends with TRICK. The name contributes its final five letters; recognizing a particular person named Patrick is unnecessary.
- PERUSE
-
PERUSE ends with RUSE. A ruse is a deceptive stratagem, so the hidden final four letters supply the relevant connection.
- SYNTACTIC
-
SYNTACTIC ends with TACTIC. The ending names a method used to achieve an objective, rather than requiring the whole tile to mean a strategic move.
How difficult is this puzzle?
Our editorial view is that the purple relationship is the main obstacle: it asks you to notice hidden endings rather than the ordinary identities of the tiles. The other groups use everyday language, although an item's possible location is broader than a strict definition.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
What is hidden inside the purple answers?
Their endings are PLOY, TRICK, RUSE, and TACTIC: emPLOY, paTRICK, peRUSE, and synTACTIC. The shared connection is at the end of each complete tile.
Why is PATRICK in a group about gambits?
The last five letters of PATRICK spell TRICK. The group uses that spelling, so no biography or specific Patrick is needed to explain the answer.
What does REGISTRATION mean in the blue group?
REGISTRATION is the vehicle's registration document. It belongs with items someone might keep in a glove compartment, alongside gloves, an ice scraper, and a map.
What does HARNESS mean in the yellow group?
HARNESS is a verb meaning to bring a resource or source of power into useful service. Its meaning as a piece of animal equipment is not the connection used here.
Sources & further reading
Sources & further reading
- The New York Times — Connections
- Merriam-Webster: ruse