This is issue 1228, dated October 21, 2026. It presents sixteen entries arranged into four groups of four, and the challenge is to work out what links each set.
If you would like a nudge before committing to an answer, you can click to reveal a gentle clue for any group. The clues are written to point you toward the connection without naming the entries themselves.
The full answers and the detailed explanations remain hidden until you choose to open them, so you can work through the puzzle at your own pace first.
Once you do open a group, you will find a short account of why each of its four entries belongs, including any alternate senses that help make the link clear.
Playing The Athletic's sports puzzle? Sports Edition hints and explanations.
Connections hints (no spoilers)
Yellow
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These are activities you might see at recess or at a children's party.
Green
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Expressions for someone with status, power or influence.
Blue
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These are titles of artworks that are widely reproduced and recognized.
Purple
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In each label, both parts fail to describe the thing accurately.
Connections answers — October 21, 2026
Yellow These are activities you might see at recess or at a children's party. Reveal group Hide group
CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMES
- DUCK DUCK GOOSE
- HOT POTATO
- LEAPFROG
- MUSICAL CHAIRS
These are four children's games with different actions. In DUCK DUCK GOOSE, the player selected as goose chases the player who tapped them, who tries to reach the vacated seat. HOT POTATO involves passing an object; in a musical version, the player holding it when the music ends is caught. LEAPFROG involves vaulting over another player's bent back. MUSICAL CHAIRS involves walking around chairs and finding a seat when the music stops, with fewer chairs than players.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen Expressions for someone with status, power or influence. Reveal group Hide group
IMPORTANT PERSON
- ALPHA DOG
- BIG CHEESE
- HEAVYWEIGHT
- TOP BANANA
Each expression can identify an important or influential person. ALPHA DOG uses a dominant-person reading; BIG CHEESE is an informal name for a boss or important figure; a HEAVYWEIGHT has considerable influence; and TOP BANANA can mean the person in charge. Read the expressions as descriptions of people, rather than looking for a literal dog, cheese, boxer and banana.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue These are titles of artworks that are widely reproduced and recognized. Reveal group Hide group
FAMOUS PAINTINGS
- AMERICAN GOTHIC
- CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN
- SUNFLOWERS
- THE SCREAM
These tiles point to paintings by four artists: Grant Wood's American Gothic, Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup-can paintings, Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers and Edvard Munch's The Scream. The official tile CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN is singular; MoMA catalogs Warhol's 1962 work as Campbell's Soup Cans, comprising 32 canvases. Keep the board spelling while recognizing the painting reference. SUNFLOWERS and THE SCREAM also exist in multiple versions.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple In each label, both parts fail to describe the thing accurately. Reveal group Hide group
DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)
- ENGLISH HORN
- GRAPE-NUTS
- MANTIS SHRIMP
- SWEETBREAD
Each name invites two misleading literal readings. The ENGLISH HORN is an oboe-family woodwind, neither English in origin nor a brass horn. GRAPE-NUTS is a wheat-and-barley cereal containing neither grapes nor nuts. A MANTIS SHRIMP is a stomatopod crustacean, not a praying mantis or a true shrimp. SWEETBREAD names thymus or pancreas used as food, rather than a sugary baked bread. The group concerns the mismatch between names and their referents, not a shared kind of object.
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
CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMES
These are four children's games with different actions. In DUCK DUCK GOOSE, the player selected as goose chases the player who tapped them, who tries to reach the vacated seat. HOT POTATO involves passing an object; in a musical version, the player holding it when the music ends is caught. LEAPFROG involves vaulting over another player's bent back. MUSICAL CHAIRS involves walking around chairs and finding a seat when the music stops, with fewer chairs than players.
- DUCK DUCK GOOSE
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One player walks around a seated circle, tapping players and saying duck before choosing a goose. The chosen goose gets up and chases the tapper, who tries to reach the goose's former place.
- HOT POTATO
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Players pass an object around a circle. In a musical version, the player holding it when the song ends is caught. The tile uses the game, rather than the figurative meaning of a troublesome issue.
- LEAPFROG
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A playground game in which players take turns jumping over the bent back of another player. It is a classic children's activity, matching the group.
- MUSICAL CHAIRS
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A party game in which players walk around a row of seats and rush to sit when the music stops, with one seat removed each round. It belongs with the other childhood games.
Green
IMPORTANT PERSON
Each expression can identify an important or influential person. ALPHA DOG uses a dominant-person reading; BIG CHEESE is an informal name for a boss or important figure; a HEAVYWEIGHT has considerable influence; and TOP BANANA can mean the person in charge. Read the expressions as descriptions of people, rather than looking for a literal dog, cheese, boxer and banana.
- ALPHA DOG
-
Read ALPHA DOG figuratively as a dominant or influential person in a group. The person-description fits alongside the other three expressions; no claim about how all animal packs behave is needed.
- BIG CHEESE
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An informal expression for an important or powerful person. It belongs here because it names someone of prominence.
- HEAVYWEIGHT
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A HEAVYWEIGHT can be someone with considerable importance, power or influence. That figurative person-sense fits here, rather than a boxer's weight division.
- TOP BANANA
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Slang for the most important person in a group or organization. It fits the shared idea of a leading figure.
Blue
FAMOUS PAINTINGS
These tiles point to paintings by four artists: Grant Wood's American Gothic, Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup-can paintings, Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers and Edvard Munch's The Scream. The official tile CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN is singular; MoMA catalogs Warhol's 1962 work as Campbell's Soup Cans, comprising 32 canvases. Keep the board spelling while recognizing the painting reference. SUNFLOWERS and THE SCREAM also exist in multiple versions.
- AMERICAN GOTHIC
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American Gothic is Grant Wood's painting of a man holding a pitchfork and a woman in front of a house. The title identifies the painting, rather than a general style of architecture.
- CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN
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The singular tile points to Andy Warhol's soup-can paintings. MoMA's catalog title for the 1962 work is Campbell's Soup Cans, a set of 32 canvases; the official tile spelling remains CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN.
- SUNFLOWERS
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The title of Vincent van Gogh's paintings of sunflowers. It belongs with the other famous artworks.
- THE SCREAM
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The Scream is Edvard Munch's famous motif of a distressed figure, represented in paintings as well as drawings and prints. Here the name supplies a painting reference.
Purple
DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)
Each name invites two misleading literal readings. The ENGLISH HORN is an oboe-family woodwind, neither English in origin nor a brass horn. GRAPE-NUTS is a wheat-and-barley cereal containing neither grapes nor nuts. A MANTIS SHRIMP is a stomatopod crustacean, not a praying mantis or a true shrimp. SWEETBREAD names thymus or pancreas used as food, rather than a sugary baked bread. The group concerns the mismatch between names and their referents, not a shared kind of object.
- ENGLISH HORN
-
Also called cor anglais, this is a double-reed woodwind related to the oboe. The Education Authority describes it as neither English nor a horn: the familiar name does not make it an English brass instrument.
- GRAPE-NUTS
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The manufacturer describes Grape-Nuts as a wheat-and-barley cereal with neither grapes nor nuts. Test both parts of the brand name against what it actually contains.
- MANTIS SHRIMP
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Mantis shrimp belong to the crustacean order Stomatopoda. Their common name reflects a resemblance to a shrimp and a praying mantis; the Natural History Museum explains that they are neither.
- SWEETBREAD
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SWEETBREAD is thymus or pancreas used as food, especially from a young calf or lamb. The culinary term names organ meat, rather than the sweet baked bread suggested by a literal reading.
How difficult is this puzzle?
This set feels moderately challenging as an editorial impression. The yellow group should be the most accessible, since the entries name well-known playground and party activities that many readers will recognize immediately. The green group is also fairly approachable once the shared idea of a prominent or influential figure comes into view, though the four expressions differ in tone and register. The blue group depends on recognizing titles of widely reproduced artworks, which rewards familiarity with art history but may stall readers who do not connect the names to paintings. The purple group is likely the hardest, because it asks solvers to notice that each label is inaccurate in both of its parts, a subtler operation than simple categorization.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the theme of the yellow group?
The yellow group collects classic children's games: DUCK DUCK GOOSE, HOT POTATO, LEAPFROG, and MUSICAL CHAIRS. Each is a familiar activity from recess or parties.
Why do ALPHA DOG and TOP BANANA belong together?
Both can describe a person with power or influence. ALPHA DOG uses a dominant-person sense and TOP BANANA can mean the person in charge. BIG CHEESE and HEAVYWEIGHT likewise have important-person meanings.
Which group contains famous paintings?
The blue tiles point to paintings by Grant Wood, Andy Warhol, Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch. Preserve CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN as written on the board; MoMA's title for Warhol's 1962 set is the plural Campbell's Soup Cans.
What makes the purple group different?
Each entry is a double misnomer: neither word in the name accurately describes the thing. For example, the ENGLISH HORN is neither English nor a horn, and GRAPE-NUTS contains neither grapes nor nuts.
How hard is this puzzle?
As an editorial impression, the yellow and green groups are the most approachable, the blue group depends on familiarity with famous artworks, and the purple group is likely the hardest because it requires noticing that both parts of each name are inaccurate.
Who chases whom in DUCK DUCK GOOSE?
The player tapped and named goose chases the player doing the tapping. The tapper tries to run around the circle and sit in the goose's vacated place.
Sources & further reading
Sources & further reading
- The New York Times — Connections
- Playworks — Duck, Duck, Goose rules
- Playworks — Hot Potato rules and variations
- Merriam-Webster — leapfrog
- Playworks — Musical Chairs rules
- Oxford — alpha, power and influence
- Merriam-Webster — big cheese
- Merriam-Webster — heavyweight
- Merriam-Webster — top banana
- Merriam-Webster — kingpin
- Whitney Museum — Grant Wood and American Gothic
- MoMA — Andy Warhol, Campbell's Soup Cans
- National Gallery — Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers
- MUNCH — Edvard Munch, The Scream
- Education Authority Music — cor anglais / English horn
- Grape-Nuts — manufacturer's cereal history
- Natural History Museum — mantis shrimps
- Australian Museum — Stomatopoda classification
- Merriam-Webster — sweetbread
- Collins — sweetbread and tentative etymology