NYT Connections #1234 for October 27, 2026 has four color groups and sixteen tiles.
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Connections hints (no spoilers)
Yellow
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Four verbs for occupying yourself with something in a small, fussy, or intrusive way.
Green
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A passage, a vibrating membrane and two tiny bones.
Blue
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Four words that form familiar phrases when BELL is added after them.
Purple
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The same added word goes before each tile; reverse the other phrase group.
Connections answers — October 27, 2026
Yellow Four verbs for occupying yourself with something in a small, fussy, or intrusive way. Reveal group Hide group
MESS (WITH)
- FIDDLE
- MEDDLE
- TINKER
- TRIFLE
All four work as verbs for messing with something. FIDDLE and TINKER can mean making small or experimental adjustments; MEDDLE means interfering in matters outside your concern; TRIFLE WITH means treating something without due seriousness or toying with it. Their shades of meaning differ, so the category does not say every act of tinkering is harmful or pointless.
Read this group’s word explanationsGreen A passage, a vibrating membrane and two tiny bones. Reveal group Hide group
PARTS OF THE EAR
- ANVIL
- CANAL
- DRUM
- STIRRUP
These four terms name parts of the ear or structures within it. The ANVIL and STIRRUP are tiny bones of the middle ear, while the DRUM is the eardrum that receives sound waves. The CANAL is the passage leading into the ear. The set mixes everyday names with anatomical ones, so the connection is the ear itself rather than a single kind of tissue.
Read this group’s word explanationsBlue Four words that form familiar phrases when BELL is added after them. Reveal group Hide group
___ BELL
- DIVING
- JINGLE
- LIBERTY
- TACO
Put BELL after each tile: DIVING BELL, JINGLE BELL, LIBERTY BELL and TACO BELL. The results name diving apparatus, a ringing object, a historic bell and a restaurant brand. The quartet shares the word-building pattern rather than one physical function.
Read this group’s word explanationsPurple The same added word goes before each tile; reverse the other phrase group. Reveal group Hide group
BELL ___
- BOTTOMS
- JAR
- PEPPER
- TOWER
Place BELL before each tile: BELL BOTTOMS, BELL JAR, BELL PEPPER and BELL TOWER. These name flared trousers, a bell-shaped vessel, a sweet pepper and a tower supporting or sheltering a bell. Unlike the blue quartet, every tile follows the added word. Their meanings differ, so a shared food or sound category would fail.
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
MESS (WITH)
All four work as verbs for messing with something. FIDDLE and TINKER can mean making small or experimental adjustments; MEDDLE means interfering in matters outside your concern; TRIFLE WITH means treating something without due seriousness or toying with it. Their shades of meaning differ, so the category does not say every act of tinkering is harmful or pointless.
- FIDDLE
-
To fiddle with something is to touch or adjust it restlessly, often in small ways. The verb can also mean to play a violin, but in this group the sense is idle or nervous handling.
- MEDDLE
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To meddle is to interfere in something that is not your concern. It fits the group's theme of intrusive involvement, though it carries a stronger sense of unwelcome interference than tinkering does.
- TINKER
-
To tinker is to make small adjustments or repairs, often by trial and error. It can suggest harmless puttering, which makes it a close companion to fiddle in this group.
- TRIFLE
-
To trifle with something is to treat it lightly or toy with it. The verb can also mean to play or joke, but here it belongs with the other words for casual or meddlesome handling.
Green
PARTS OF THE EAR
These four terms name parts of the ear or structures within it. The ANVIL and STIRRUP are tiny bones of the middle ear, while the DRUM is the eardrum that receives sound waves. The CANAL is the passage leading into the ear. The set mixes everyday names with anatomical ones, so the connection is the ear itself rather than a single kind of tissue.
- ANVIL
-
The anvil is the common name for the incus, one of the small bones in the middle ear. It helps transmit vibrations from the eardrum toward the inner ear.
- CANAL
-
The ear canal is the passage that carries sound from the outer ear toward the eardrum. In this group, canal refers to that anatomical channel rather than a waterway.
- DRUM
-
The eardrum, or tympanic membrane, is the thin structure that vibrates when sound reaches it. It separates the outer ear from the middle ear.
- STIRRUP
-
STIRRUP is an everyday name for the stapes, one of the middle-ear bones that passes along sound vibrations. Use the anatomical meaning here rather than the foot support on a saddle.
Blue
___ BELL
Put BELL after each tile: DIVING BELL, JINGLE BELL, LIBERTY BELL and TACO BELL. The results name diving apparatus, a ringing object, a historic bell and a restaurant brand. The quartet shares the word-building pattern rather than one physical function.
- DIVING
-
DIVING BELL names apparatus used underwater. The standard dictionary definition describes a container open at the bottom and supplied with compressed air. Add BELL after DIVING to form the expression.
- JINGLE
-
A jingle bell is a small hollow bell containing a loose pellet that makes a ringing sound. The word jingle describes the sound as well as the object.
- LIBERTY
-
The Liberty Bell is the historic Philadelphia bell that became a symbol of liberty. LIBERTY comes before BELL in this proper name.
- TACO
-
Taco Bell is a well-known fast-food restaurant chain. The tile works through the brand name, where BELL follows TACO.
Purple
BELL ___
Place BELL before each tile: BELL BOTTOMS, BELL JAR, BELL PEPPER and BELL TOWER. These name flared trousers, a bell-shaped vessel, a sweet pepper and a tower supporting or sheltering a bell. Unlike the blue quartet, every tile follows the added word. Their meanings differ, so a shared food or sound category would fail.
- BOTTOMS
-
BELL BOTTOMS are trousers with wide, flared lower legs. BELL comes before BOTTOMS; the clothing sense explains the completed phrase.
- JAR
-
A BELL JAR is a bell-shaped vessel, usually glass, used to cover objects or contain gases or a vacuum. Put BELL before JAR to complete the phrase.
- PEPPER
-
A BELL PEPPER is a large, bell-shaped sweet pepper. The phrase puts BELL before PEPPER, rather than using a hot-pepper category.
- TOWER
-
A bell tower is a tall structure built to hold one or more bells. The phrase puts BELL before TOWER, completing the reversed pattern.
How difficult is this puzzle?
Our editorial assessment is that the two BELL groups create the main trap: the same added word must go after one quartet and before the other. The ear group also asks you to set aside familiar tool, musical-instrument and riding-equipment meanings. Test complete four-word groups before settling on a sound-related connection.
More Connections answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the theme of the yellow group?
FIDDLE, MEDDLE, TINKER and TRIFLE can describe messing with something. The precise senses range from small experimental adjustments to interference or toying with something; they do not all imply equally unwelcome behavior.
Which tiles are parts of the ear?
ANVIL, CANAL, DRUM, and STIRRUP form the green group. The anvil and stirrup are middle-ear bones, the drum is the eardrum, and the canal is the ear passage.
How do the blue and purple groups differ?
Both groups use BELL, but in opposite positions. The blue answers, DIVING, JINGLE, LIBERTY, and TACO, come before BELL in phrases such as diving bell and Taco Bell. The purple answers, BOTTOMS, JAR, PEPPER, and TOWER, come after BELL in phrases such as bell bottoms and bell tower.
Why is a broad sound-related group risky?
DRUM can suggest music, and several completed BELL phrases involve sound. But the green quartet uses ear anatomy, while the blue and purple quartets require BELL on opposite sides. Test the exact relationship for all four tiles.
Does the puzzle rely on brand names?
TACO uses the restaurant brand Taco Bell. LIBERTY also forms a proper name, the Liberty Bell. DIVING BELL and JINGLE BELL are common nouns; this group mixes kinds of expression while keeping BELL in the same position.
Does DIVING BELL mean a completely sealed chamber?
The standard dictionary definition describes a container open at its bottom and supplied with compressed air. The phrase completes DIVING with BELL; a fully sealed chamber is not a requirement of the word group.
Sources & further reading
Sources & further reading
- The New York Times — Connections
- Merriam-Webster — fiddle
- Merriam-Webster — meddle
- Merriam-Webster — tinker
- Merriam-Webster — trifle
- NIH/NIDCD — How Do We Hear?
- Merriam-Webster — anvil
- Merriam-Webster — stirrup
- Merriam-Webster — eardrum
- Merriam-Webster — diving bell
- Merriam-Webster — jingle bell
- National Park Service — The Liberty Bell
- Yum! Brands — Taco Bell
- Merriam-Webster — bell-bottoms
- Merriam-Webster — bell jar
- Merriam-Webster — bell pepper
- Merriam-Webster — bell tower