NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 26, 2026

Today's NYT Connections puzzle, numbered #1233, appears to be fairly straightforward for those who enjoy thinking about dogs. This widely popular New York Times word game involves identifying common threads between words. Just like Wordle, Connections resets each day at midnight, and the difficulty of the new set of words gradually increases.

For those who simply want the solution, feel free to skip to the end of this article. However, if you prefer to tackle the puzzle on your own, continue reading for some helpful hints, tips, and strategies.

To recap, Connections is a game where players are presented with 16 words, divided into four groups of four. The objective is to group the words based on a shared theme. Each correct grouping is removed from the board, while wrong guesses result in mistakes. Players have up to four mistakes before the game ends. Words can be rearranged and shuffled to make identifying connections easier, and each group is color-coded from yellow (easiest) to purple (most challenging).

Here are today's Connections categories with hints:

Yellow: How are you? - What are four possible responses?

Green: Kinds of Mats - Can you name four types of mats?

Blue: AKC Dog Breed Groups - Which four dog breed groups are featured?

Purple: Horror Movies with Last Letter Changed - Can you think of four horror movie titles where the last letter is altered?

Now that you have some hints, try to solve today's puzzle. Remember, you have four mistakes before the game ends. Good luck!