NYT Connections Answer Today (#1226) – 19 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 #1226 (published 19 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:
- ALIBIS
- BALLOON
- BLATHER
- BOIL
- ESCROW
- FLURRY
- FUME
- GAS
- HOT AIR
- MOHAWK
- MUFFIN
- NUGGETS
- RAVE
- RIB
- STEAM
- WIND
Definitions of the 16 Words
| ALIBIS | Claims or pieces of evidence showing a person was somewhere else when something happened. |
| BALLOON | An inflatable bag that expands when filled with air, gas, or hot air. |
| BLATHER | To talk on and on without saying much of substance. |
| BOIL | To heat a liquid until it bubbles, or to feel one’s temper rising toward a breaking point. |
| ESCROW | A legal arrangement where money or property is held by a neutral third party until certain conditions are met. |
| FLURRY | A sudden, brief burst of activity, or a light scattering of snow. |
| FUME | To feel intense, simmering anger, often without saying a word about it. |
| GAS | A substance with no fixed shape that fills whatever space it’s in, or casual slang for aimless chatting. |
| HOT AIR | Talk that sounds important but is ultimately empty or exaggerated. |
| MOHAWK | A hairstyle featuring a narrow strip of upright hair running down an otherwise shaved scalp. |
| MUFFIN | A small, usually sweet, individually baked treat often eaten at breakfast. |
| NUGGETS | Small, bite-sized chunks, often used for bits of breaded and fried food. |
| RAVE | To gush enthusiastically about something, or an energetic all-night party with music. |
| RIB | A curved bone protecting the chest cavity, or a lighthearted jab of teasing. |
| STEAM | Hot water vapor, or the pent-up frustration that builds before someone loses their cool. |
| WIND | Air moving across the earth’s surface, or to coil something around itself repeatedly. |
General Hints
- This group keeps its temper simmering below the surface rather than boiling over loudly.
- Every entry here describes talk that sounds like a lot but adds up to very little.
- Picture a popular fast-food chain’s menu board and the two-letter prefix that kicks off several items.
- These words look ordinary until you notice a small flying creature tucked into the very end of each one.
Category Titles
- 🟨 Yellow: SEETHE
- 🟩 Green: ALL TALK
- 🟦 Blue: “MC” Things at McDonald’s
- 🟪 Purple: Ending in Birds
One Word per Category
- 🟨 Yellow: STEAM
- 🟩 Green: GAS
- 🟦 Blue: MUFFIN
- 🟪 Purple: MOHAWK
Complete Solution
The full breakdown is below — tap to reveal all four groups:
[CLICK TO REVEAL: Full Solution]
NYT Connections #1226 — Full Groups
- 🟨 Yellow: SEETHE → BOIL, FUME, RAVE, STEAM
- 🟩 Green: ALL TALK → BLATHER, GAS, HOT AIR, WIND
- 🟦 Blue: “MC” Things at McDonald’s → FLURRY, MUFFIN, NUGGETS, RIB
- 🟪 Purple: Ending in Birds → ALIBIS, BALLOON, ESCROW, MOHAWK
The purple group was the trickiest today — once you spot that each word is just an everyday term with a bird quietly hiding at the end, the whole category clicks into place.
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