NYT Connections Answer Today (#1228) – 21 Oct 2026 Solution & Hints

Looking for today’s NYT Connections answer? This guide covers Connections #1228 for 21 Oct 2026: the 16 words, definitions, non-spoiler hints, and a click-to-reveal full solution.

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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 #1228 (published 21 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:

ALPHA DOG
AMERICAN GOTHIC
BIG CHEESE
CAMPBELL’S SOUP CAN
DUCK DUCK GOOSE
ENGLISH HORN
GRAPE-NUTS
HEAVYWEIGHT
HOT POTATO
LEAPFROG
MANTIS SHRIMP
MUSICAL CHAIRS
SUNFLOWERS
SWEETBREAD
THE SCREAM
TOP BANANA

Definitions of the 16 Words

ALPHA DOG	A term borrowed from animal behavior for the dominant figure who calls the shots in a group.
AMERICAN GOTHIC	A painting of a stern farmer and a woman standing in front of a white farmhouse, holding a pitchfork.
BIG CHEESE	An old-fashioned slang term for the most important or influential person in an organization.
CAMPBELL’S SOUP CAN	A pop-art work that turned a familiar supermarket soup label into a repeated gallery image.
DUCK DUCK GOOSE	A playground circle game where one player taps heads while chanting, then sprints away once they call out the chase word.
ENGLISH HORN	A double-reed woodwind instrument that is neither English in origin nor shaped like a horn.
GRAPE-NUTS	A crunchy breakfast cereal that is made from wheat and barley, not grapes, and contains no actual nuts.
HEAVYWEIGHT	Someone whose influence or standing in a field is considered especially weighty, borrowed from boxing’s top weight class.
HOT POTATO	A party game where a small object gets tossed quickly from player to player before the music or timer stops.
LEAPFROG	A game in which players crouch down in turn so the others can vault over their backs.
MANTIS SHRIMP	A brightly colored marine predator that is not a true shrimp and is only loosely mantis-like in shape.
MUSICAL CHAIRS	A game where players circle a shrinking row of chairs and scramble for a seat the instant the music halts.
SUNFLOWERS	A series of still-life paintings built around vases full of the tall yellow flower.
SWEETBREAD	A culinary term for an animal’s thymus or pancreas gland, which is neither sweet nor a type of bread.
THE SCREAM	An expressionist painting of a wavy-skied landscape with a figure clutching its face in distress.
TOP BANANA	A vaudeville-derived nickname for whoever holds the lead role or highest rank in a group.

General Hints

Yellow: Think of games you’d play at a birthday party or in gym class as a kid, no equipment required.
Green: These are all casual, often old-fashioned ways of describing whoever’s really in charge.
Blue: Each of these names a world-famous piece of visual art you’d recognize instantly, even out of context.
Purple: Every item in this group has a name that promises something it absolutely does not deliver.

Category Titles

🟨 Yellow: Classic Children’s Games
🟩 Green: Ways to Say “The Boss”
🟦 Blue: Famous Paintings
🟪 Purple: Misleading Names (Not What They Sound Like)

One Word per Category

🟨 Yellow: DUCK DUCK GOOSE
🟩 Green: ALPHA DOG
🟦 Blue: AMERICAN GOTHIC
🟪 Purple: ENGLISH HORN

Complete Solution

The full breakdown is below — tap to reveal all four groups:

[CLICK TO REVEAL: Full Solution]

NYT Connections #1228 — Full Groups

🟨 Yellow: Classic Children’s Games → DUCK DUCK GOOSE, HOT POTATO, LEAPFROG, MUSICAL CHAIRS
🟩 Green: Ways to Say “The Boss” → ALPHA DOG, BIG CHEESE, HEAVYWEIGHT, TOP BANANA
🟦 Blue: Famous Paintings → AMERICAN GOTHIC, CAMPBELL’S SOUP CAN, SUNFLOWERS, THE SCREAM
🟪 Purple: Misleading Names (Not What They Sound Like) → ENGLISH HORN, GRAPE-NUTS, MANTIS SHRIMP, SWEETBREAD