How do you pronounce it?
For the empty-talk noun, use WIND, /wɪnd/, rhyming with pinned. The verb in wind a clock is /waɪnd/, rhyming with kind. Merriam-Webster lists these separately; the spelling alone does not determine the sound.
Where the word comes from
Merriam-Webster traces the air noun through Middle English to Old English wind. It gives the turning or coiling verb a separate Old English form, windan. The dictionary places the empty-talk sense within the air noun's entry.
Which wind fits the puzzle?
Read WIND as a noun for insubstantial speech. In the invented example 'The impressive speech was only wind,' the speaker's words carry little substance.
Winding a clock uses a different dictionary entry and pronunciation. Neither turning nor the weather explains BLATHER alongside GAS and HOT AIR; the idle-talk sense fits all four.
Why this word appears in Connections
WIND appears with BLATHER, GAS, and HOT AIR in the green ALL TALK group of Connections #1226 on October 19, 2026. These are four names for empty talk. The weather association is a possible distraction, rather than the group's rule.
Puzzles featuring this word
Frequently asked questions
Does wind mean empty talk?
Yes. Merriam-Webster includes mere talk or idle words under the noun wind.
How is WIND pronounced in Connections #1226?
The empty-talk noun rhymes with pinned. It is not the verb wind, rhyming with kind, used in wind a clock.
Sources & further reading
- Merriam-Webster — wind
- The New York Times — Connections