This guide covers NYT Connections #1223 for October 16, 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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Small flaws on the outside of an object.
Green
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Nations whose territory has no sea coast.
Blue
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Restore one letter to reveal a familiar nation.
Purple
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A fashionable adjective hides at the front of each.
Connections answers — October 16, 2026
Yellow Small flaws on the outside of an object. Reveal group Hide group
SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS
- CHIP
- MARK
- NICK
- SCRATCH
These words can name imperfections on a surface. The connection uses their physical-damage or blemish senses, rather than a person's name, a snack, or a general act of identifying something.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen Nations whose territory has no sea coast. Reveal group Hide group
LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES
- CHAD
- HUNGARY
- LAOS
- PARAGUAY
These are landlocked countries: Chad, Hungary, Laos, and Paraguay. Landlocked describes the lack of a sea coast; it does not mean that a country has no rivers, lakes, or water transport.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue Restore one letter to reveal a familiar nation. Reveal group Hide group
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MINUS A LETTER
- BULGARI
- CYRUS
- HUNGRY
- SPAN
Each tile is a country name with one letter removed: BULGARIA loses its final A, CYPRUS loses P, HUNGARY loses A, and SPAIN loses I. The remaining letters keep their original order.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple A fashionable adjective hides at the front of each. Reveal group Hide group
STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH"
- CHICKEN
- COOLIDGE
- HIPPO
- SMARTIES
The opening letters spell synonyms for stylish: CHIC in CHICKEN, COOL in COOLIDGE, HIP in HIPPO, and SMART in SMARTIES. This is a written-prefix relationship, not a requirement that the complete words sound alike.
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
SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS
These words can name imperfections on a surface. The connection uses their physical-damage or blemish senses, rather than a person's name, a snack, or a general act of identifying something.
- CHIP
-
A CHIP is a small piece broken off an edge or surface, or the damaged spot it leaves. That flaw sense fits rather than a snack or electronic component.
- MARK
-
A MARK is a visible spot or blemish on a surface. Here the word identifies an imperfection rather than a person's name or a target.
- NICK
-
A NICK is a small cut or notch in a surface or edge. The physical-flaw sense connects it to the other entries rather than a shortened personal name.
- SCRATCH
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A SCRATCH is a thin cut or scraped line on a surface. It belongs with small imperfections rather than the act of withdrawing from a competition.
Green
LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES
These are landlocked countries: Chad, Hungary, Laos, and Paraguay. Landlocked describes the lack of a sea coast; it does not mean that a country has no rivers, lakes, or water transport.
- CHAD
-
CHAD is a landlocked country in Africa. Its actual country name belongs here, rather than needing a letter restored as in the blue group.
- HUNGARY
-
HUNGARY is a landlocked country in Europe. Keep its full spelling distinct from the separate tile HUNGRY, which is used in the blue letter-removal group.
- LAOS
-
LAOS is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. The group concerns its lack of a sea coast, rather than a claim that it has no rivers or other waterways.
- PARAGUAY
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PARAGUAY is a landlocked country in South America. This group uses the complete country name exactly as it appears on the tile.
Blue
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MINUS A LETTER
Each tile is a country name with one letter removed: BULGARIA loses its final A, CYPRUS loses P, HUNGARY loses A, and SPAIN loses I. The remaining letters keep their original order.
- BULGARI
-
BULGARI is BULGARIA without its final A. The exact deletion supplies the relationship; a brand or personal-name association is unnecessary.
- CYRUS
-
CYRUS is CYPRUS with its third letter P removed. The country spelling gives the answer without identifying any particular person named Cyrus.
- HUNGRY
-
HUNGRY is HUNGARY with its fifth letter A removed. This is a different role from the complete country-name tile HUNGARY in the green group.
- SPAN
-
SPAN is SPAIN with its fourth letter I removed. One deletion leaves the remaining letters in order, matching the same rule as the other blue tiles.
Purple
STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH"
The opening letters spell synonyms for stylish: CHIC in CHICKEN, COOL in COOLIDGE, HIP in HIPPO, and SMART in SMARTIES. This is a written-prefix relationship, not a requirement that the complete words sound alike.
- CHICKEN
-
CHICKEN begins with CHIC, meaning stylish or fashionable. The first four written letters supply the connection regardless of the full word's pronunciation.
- COOLIDGE
-
COOLIDGE begins with COOL, which can describe something fashionable or appealing. The spelling works without identifying a particular person with that surname.
- HIPPO
-
HIPPO begins with HIP, meaning fashionable or aware of current trends. The opening three letters matter rather than the animal's characteristics.
- SMARTIES
-
SMARTIES begins with SMART, which can mean stylish or neat in appearance. The group uses that written opening rather than a particular confectionery brand.
How difficult is this puzzle?
Our editorial take is that separating the two geography-related ideas is the main challenge. One quartet uses the actual entries as country names; another requires restoring a missing letter. The final group rewards attention to the beginning of each spelling.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
Why are HUNGARY and HUNGRY in different groups?
HUNGARY is a complete landlocked-country name. HUNGRY is the spelling left when the A is removed from HUNGARY, so it follows the blue one-letter-deletion rule.
How do CYRUS and SPAN become country names?
Insert P after CY in CYRUS to make CYPRUS, and insert I after SPA in SPAN to make SPAIN. The puzzle describes the reverse operation: country names minus a letter.
Does the stylish-prefix group depend on pronunciation?
No. CHIC, COOL, HIP, and SMART appear as written beginnings of the four tiles. The full words do not need to pronounce those letter sequences the same way.
Can a landlocked country still have major rivers?
Yes. Landlocked means lacking a sea coast. Rivers, lakes, and river navigation do not by themselves make a country coastal.