Play Connections #1210
These are the 16 words in the order NYT shows them. Tap four words you think belong together and press Submit. You get four mistakes, and we'll tell you when you are one word away. Nothing is saved, so you can practise without touching your real streak.
Connections #1210 hints
Yellow is usually the easiest group and purple the trickiest. Start with one colour and see if the rest falls into place.
Hints used: 0
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Yellow group hintGentle hint
Listen to the first part of each phrase for casual words you might use when nature calls.
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Green group hintGentle hint
The last word of each phrase could be lit up on a theater marquee.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
The first word of each phrase could be on the sign of a gallery you'd visit on a city trip.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
The final word of each phrase belongs in a storybook of myths and legends.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
Many entries are celebrity names, and some end in city names or other famous words, which tempts you to group people together instead of looking at the openings and closings.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET"
- ENDING IN MUSICALS
- STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS
- ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES
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Difficulty: Hard. Every answer is a two-word phrase, and the real connection is hidden in the first or last word, so you have to focus on word parts rather than overall meaning.
Connections #1210 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for October 3, 2026, with why each word fits.
Reveal one group at a time
Each colour opens in three steps: one word from the group, then the group name, then all four words. Stop as soon as you can finish it yourself.
Show one word
CAN OPENER is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET".
Show all four words
CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS
Show one word
ELBOW GREASE is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ENDING IN MUSICALS.
Show all four words
ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED
Show one word
BROAD BEAN is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS.
Show all four words
BROAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON
Show one word
DIET SPRITE is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES.
Show all four words
DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- CAN OPENER: Starts with CAN, slang for toilet.
- HEAD WAITER: Starts with HEAD, nautical slang for toilet.
- JOHN DENVER: Starts with JOHN, slang for toilet.
- W.C. FIELDS: Starts with W.C., short for water closet.
- ELBOW GREASE: Ends with GREASE, the 1970s musical.
- FAT CATS: Ends with CATS, the Lloyd Webber musical.
- LINDA HAMILTON: Ends with HAMILTON, the hip-hop musical.
- SOMETHING WICKED: Ends with WICKED, the Oz musical.
- BROAD BEAN: Starts with The Broad, the Los Angeles museum.
- GETTY IMAGES: Starts with the Getty, the Los Angeles art museum.
- MET HALFWAY: Starts with the Met, New York's art museum.
- WHITNEY HOUSTON: Starts with the Whitney, the New York art museum.
Purple group explained
- DIET SPRITE: Ends with SPRITE, a magical woodland being.
- MERV GRIFFIN: Ends with GRIFFIN, the lion-eagle hybrid.
- NY GIANT: Ends with GIANT, a towering mythical being.
- RIVER PHOENIX: Ends with PHOENIX, the bird reborn from ashes.
What does MERV GRIFFIN mean?
Merv Griffin was an American television host and entrepreneur who hosted a long-running talk show and created the game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. In the puzzle, it ends in GRIFFIN, a mythical creature.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2 | #1209 | PRIME ___ |
| Oct 1 | #1208 | STARTS OF NYT PRINT PUZZLES |
| Sep 30 | #1207 | STARTING WITH MONTH ABBREVIATIONS |
| Sep 29 | #1206 | PHRASES HIDING GREEK LETTERS |
| Sep 28 | #1205 | THREE LETTERS PLUS REPEATED TRIGRAMS |
| Sep 27 | #1204 | ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES |
| Sep 26 | #1203 | "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS |
About Connections
Connections is a daily New York Times puzzle where you sort 16 words into four groups of four. Groups are colour-coded from yellow, the most direct, to purple, which usually relies on wordplay. You can make four mistakes. Looking back at past puzzles is one of the best ways to learn the kinds of tricks the editors like to use.
Other puzzles on Oct 3
Connections #1210 questions
What were the Connections answers on October 3, 2026?
STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET": CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS. ENDING IN MUSICALS: ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED. STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS: BROAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON. ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES: DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX.
What was the purple group in Connections #1210?
ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES: DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX.
What made Connections #1210 tricky?
Many entries are celebrity names, and some end in city names or other famous words, which tempts you to group people together instead of looking at the openings and closings.