NYT Connections Answer Today (#1229) – 22 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 #1229 (published 22 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:
- BLANK
- BUST
- COMFORT
- END
- GRIP
- GUARD
- HANDLE
- HILT
- KNOB
- MOBILE
- PILL
- RELIEF
- SAFETY
- SHE
- STATUE
- TACKLE
Definitions of the 16 Words
| BLANK | Empty or lacking any marks, writing, or filled-in content. |
| BUST | A sculpture that depicts a person’s head, shoulders, and upper chest. |
| COMFORT | A state of physical ease, relief, or freedom from pain and stress. |
| END | The outer boundary, limit, or final point of something. |
| GRIP | A firm hold on something, or the part of an object shaped to be held. |
| GUARD | A person or thing that watches over and protects something else. |
| HANDLE | A part built onto an object specifically so it can be carried or held. |
| HILT | The handle of a sword or dagger, sitting between the blade and the guard. |
| KNOB | A rounded lump or small handle, often used to open a door or drawer. |
| MOBILE | A hanging piece of art made of suspended parts that drift with the air. |
| PILL | A tiny ball of fuzz that forms on fabric from rubbing or wear. |
| RELIEF | A sculpting style where a design is carved to stand out slightly from a flat surface. |
| SAFETY | A defensive football player who typically lines up deepest in the backfield. |
| SHE | A pronoun used to refer to a female person or animal. |
| STATUE | A carved or molded three-dimensional figure of a person, animal, or object. |
| TACKLE | To physically stop a ball carrier, or the lineman position tasked with doing so. |
General Hints
- Think about the parts of an object that are specifically shaped for your fingers to close around.
- These are different physical forms that three-dimensional artwork can take.
- Picture the lineup along the line of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball.
- Every entry here is really just the opening letters of something you’d find on a bed.
Category Titles
- 🟨 Yellow: Parts to Be Grasped
- 🟩 Green: Kinds of Sculptures
- 🟦 Blue: American Football Positions
- 🟪 Purple: Starts of Bedding
One Word per Category
- 🟨 Yellow: HANDLE
- 🟩 Green: STATUE
- 🟦 Blue: TACKLE
- 🟪 Purple: COMFORT
Complete Solution
The full breakdown is below — tap to reveal all four groups:
[CLICK TO REVEAL: Full Solution]
NYT Connections #1229 — Full Groups
- 🟨 Yellow: Parts to Be Grasped → GRIP, HANDLE, HILT, KNOB
- 🟩 Green: Kinds of Sculptures → BUST, MOBILE, RELIEF, STATUE
- 🟦 Blue: American Football Positions → END, GUARD, SAFETY, TACKLE
- 🟪 Purple: Starts of Bedding → BLANK, COMFORT, PILL, SHE
The Starts of Bedding group was probably the trickiest, since GRIP, BUST, END, and SHE could all plausibly belong elsewhere until you realize they’re only fragments waiting for their other half.
Want more? Check out our latest posts:
Play the official NYT games on the NYT site.
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments
Oldest
