This guide covers NYT Connections #1221 for October 14, 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.
Playing The Athletic's sports puzzle? Sports Edition hints and explanations.
Connections hints (no spoilers)
Yellow
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A very small sign that something is present.
Green
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Actions used to strike the ball across a court.
Blue
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Character names that commonly take a definite article.
Purple
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Their opening letters follow a giant's familiar chant.
Connections answers — October 14, 2026
Yellow A very small sign that something is present. Reveal group Hide group
HINT
- FLICKER
- SUGGESTION
- TRACE
- WHIFF
These words can mean a slight indication or small amount of something. Their relevant senses are figurative, so the relationship does not require literal light, a physical trail, or an actual smell.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen Actions used to strike the ball across a court. Reveal group Hide group
TENNIS SHOTS
- SERVE
- SLICE
- SMASH
- VOLLEY
These are types of tennis shots. They differ in purpose and technique, but each names a way of sending the ball during play rather than an unrelated food or crowd expression.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue Character names that commonly take a definite article. Reveal group Hide group
SUPERHEROES, WITH "THE"
- FLASH
- HULK
- PUNISHER
- THING
Put THE before these superhero names: the Flash, the Hulk, the Punisher, and the Thing. The common article distinguishes the character readings from the tiles' ordinary everyday meanings.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple Their opening letters follow a giant's familiar chant. Reveal group Hide group
STARTING WITH "FEE, FI, FO, FUM"
- FEED
- FIERY
- FOMENT
- FUMBLE
The beginnings reproduce FEE, FI, FO, FUM in order: FEEd, FIery, FOment, and FUMble. This is a letter-prefix pattern; it does not require the whole tiles to rhyme or to share a definition.
Read this group’s word explanationsWhy these words fit
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Full spoilers below: a closer look at every group and the wordplay behind it.
Yellow
HINT
These words can mean a slight indication or small amount of something. Their relevant senses are figurative, so the relationship does not require literal light, a physical trail, or an actual smell.
- FLICKER
-
A FLICKER can be a brief or slight sign of an emotion or quality. That small-indication sense fits rather than only a wavering light.
- SUGGESTION
-
A SUGGESTION of something is a slight indication or trace of it. Here it does not mean a recommendation about what someone should do.
- TRACE
-
A TRACE is a very small amount or sign left by something. It fits the slight-indication relationship rather than the act of copying a drawing.
- WHIFF
-
A WHIFF can be a slight indication of something, extending beyond its literal smell sense. The group uses that faint-suggestion reading.
Green
TENNIS SHOTS
These are types of tennis shots. They differ in purpose and technique, but each names a way of sending the ball during play rather than an unrelated food or crowd expression.
- SERVE
-
A SERVE is the shot used to put a tennis ball into play at the start of a point. The tile uses its sporting sense rather than providing food.
- SLICE
-
A SLICE is a tennis shot played with a cutting action that imparts backspin. Its connection is the stroke rather than a thin piece of food.
- SMASH
-
A SMASH is a forceful overhead tennis shot, often used against a high ball. It belongs with stroke names rather than general breakage.
- VOLLEY
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A VOLLEY is a tennis shot struck before the ball bounces. It fits the tennis relationship rather than a rapid series of remarks or projectiles.
Blue
SUPERHEROES, WITH "THE"
Put THE before these superhero names: the Flash, the Hulk, the Punisher, and the Thing. The common article distinguishes the character readings from the tiles' ordinary everyday meanings.
- FLASH
-
FLASH refers to the superhero called the Flash. Adding THE makes the intended character reading explicit rather than a brief burst of light.
- HULK
-
HULK refers to the superhero known as the Hulk. The tile works as a character name in this group rather than a general description of a bulky person.
- PUNISHER
-
PUNISHER refers to the comic-book character known as the Punisher. The shared THE construction matters, rather than the ordinary noun for someone who punishes.
- THING
-
THING refers to the superhero called the Thing. The character-name reading supplies the connection rather than the very broad everyday noun.
Purple
STARTING WITH "FEE, FI, FO, FUM"
The beginnings reproduce FEE, FI, FO, FUM in order: FEEd, FIery, FOment, and FUMble. This is a letter-prefix pattern; it does not require the whole tiles to rhyme or to share a definition.
- FEED
-
FEED begins with the three letters FEE. That exact opening supplies the first part of the sequence, independently of the word's ordinary meaning.
- FIERY
-
FIERY begins with FI. Its opening letters match the second element of the sequence; no change to the spelling of the tile is required.
- FOMENT
-
FOMENT begins with FO. The two-letter prefix supplies the third element of the sequence rather than requiring a meaning related to giants.
- FUMBLE
-
FUMBLE begins with FUM. The three opening letters complete the four-part sequence while leaving the rest of the tile untouched.
How difficult is this puzzle?
Our editorial view is that the purple spelling pattern provides the biggest shift of perspective. The blue names can also overlap with ordinary words, so recognizing a character is useful only when it supports a complete four-entry grouping.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the purple spelling pattern for October 14?
The opening letters spell FEE, FI, FO, FUM: FEEd, FIery, FOment, and FUMble. Use the prefixes exactly rather than changing the complete words.
Must all four purple tiles rhyme with the chant?
No. The category concerns the letters at the beginning of each tile. It does not require matching pronunciation or a common definition for the complete words.
Why does THING belong with FLASH and HULK?
THING names the superhero the Thing in this group. All four blue character names commonly use THE before them, which supplies the shared construction.
What does SUGGESTION mean in the yellow group?
It means a slight indication or small amount, as in a suggestion of a quality. The recommendation sense does not explain its connection to FLICKER, TRACE, and WHIFF.