NYT Connections Answer Today (#1216) – 9 Oct 2026 Solution & Hints
- About Today’s Connections
- The 16 Words
- Definitions of the 16 Words
- General Hints
- Category Titles
- One Word per Category
- Complete Solution (Click to Reveal)
About Today’s Connections
Puzzle #1216 (published 9 Oct 2026). Sort 16 words into four groups of four, based on a hidden connection. Some words look like they belong together and don’t — that’s by design.
The 16 Words
Here are the 16 words, sorted alphabetically to avoid spoilers:
- BLOWOUT
- CHANNEL
- CONDITIONER
- GUITAR
- HIGHLIGHTS
- INPUT
- KISS
- POWER
- QUOTES
- RECAP
- ROMP
- ROUT
- SCORES
- STATS
- SWEEP
- VOLUME
Definitions of the 16 Words
| BLOWOUT | A game or contest decided by an overwhelming, one-sided margin. |
| CHANNEL | The specific frequency or station that a television is currently tuned to. |
| CONDITIONER | A hair product that softens and detangles, or a machine that cools indoor air. |
| GUITAR | A stringed instrument typically played by strumming or plucking with a pick or fingers. |
| HIGHLIGHTS | The standout moments of an event, replayed for anyone who missed the action live. |
| INPUT | The source selector on a device that tells it which connected cable or signal to read. |
| KISS | A brief touch of the lips, usually meant as a greeting or a sign of affection. |
| POWER | The switch or button that turns a device on or supplies it with energy. |
| QUOTES | Punctuation marks that set off someone’s exact words, or the memorable lines attributed to a person. |
| RECAP | A short summary that catches someone up on what already happened. |
| ROMP | An easy, lopsided win achieved with little resistance from the other side. |
| ROUT | A decisive, humiliating defeat where one side completely overwhelms the other. |
| SCORES | The running tally of points each side has earned during a contest. |
| STATS | Numerical figures that summarize performance, like a shooting percentage or total yards. |
| SWEEP | Winning every single game in a head-to-head series against an opponent. |
| VOLUME | The loudness level of the sound coming out of a speaker. |
General Hints
- Think about how one side can crush another without much of a fight at all.
- Picture the buttons you press on a little plastic clicker without ever leaving the couch.
- These show up whenever a broadcast looks back at a game after the final whistle.
- Each of these follows a short word for what you breathe, forming a familiar two-word phrase.
Category Titles
- 🟨 Yellow: Decisive Victory
- 🟩 Green: TV Remote Controls
- 🟦 Blue: Sports Broadcast Staples
- 🟪 Purple: Air ___
One Word per Category
- 🟨 Yellow: SWEEP
- 🟩 Green: VOLUME
- 🟦 Blue: STATS
- 🟪 Purple: GUITAR
Complete Solution
The full breakdown is below — tap to reveal all four groups:
[CLICK TO REVEAL: Full Solution]
NYT Connections #1216 — Full Groups
- 🟨 Yellow: Decisive Victory → BLOWOUT, ROMP, ROUT, SWEEP
- 🟩 Green: TV Remote Controls → CHANNEL, INPUT, POWER, VOLUME
- 🟦 Blue: Sports Broadcast Staples → HIGHLIGHTS, RECAP, SCORES, STATS
- 🟪 Purple: Air ___ → CONDITIONER, GUITAR, KISS, QUOTES
Purple is the sneaky one this time — GUITAR, KISS, QUOTES, and CONDITIONER look totally unrelated until you remember they all pair with the word for what you breathe.
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