Play Connections #1217
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 #1217 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
Handy things to have on hand when putting together an academic essay.
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Green group hintGentle hint
Different ways to say you reckon something is probably true without proof.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Places you tap within an app for keeping up with friends and followers.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Add the same ending to each one to form a new word.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
Several words hint at a shape or silhouette, which tempts you to group them even though they belong to different categories.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- USEFUL WHEN WRITING A PAPER
- PRESUME
- SOCIAL MEDIA SECTIONS
- ___BOXING
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Difficulty: Medium. The fill-in-the-blank group is the trickiest, and one of its pieces is only a prefix, while the other three groups are fairly approachable.
Connections #1217 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for October 10, 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
DRAFT is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is USEFUL WHEN WRITING A PAPER.
Show all four words
DRAFT, NOTES, OUTLINE, THESIS
Show one word
FIGURE is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is PRESUME.
Show all four words
FIGURE, GATHER, IMAGINE, SUPPOSE
Show one word
FEED is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is SOCIAL MEDIA SECTIONS.
Show all four words
FEED, MESSAGES, NOTIFICATIONS, PROFILE
Show one word
BEAT is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ___BOXING.
Show all four words
BEAT, KICK, SHADOW, UN
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- DRAFT: A rough early version of the essay
- NOTES: Jotted research and ideas to draw from
- OUTLINE: The planned structure of the essay's points
- THESIS: The central argument the essay defends
- FIGURE: To figure means to reckon or conclude
- GATHER: To gather is to infer or understand
- IMAGINE: To imagine is to assume or picture as likely
- SUPPOSE: To suppose is to assume something is true
- FEED: Scrolling stream of posts from people you follow
- MESSAGES: Private chats sent between users
- NOTIFICATIONS: Alerts about likes, comments and new activity
- PROFILE: Your personal page with bio and photo
Purple group explained
- BEAT: Beatboxing is making drum sounds with your mouth
- KICK: Kickboxing is a combat sport using punches and kicks
- SHADOW: Shadowboxing is sparring against an imaginary opponent
- UN: Unboxing is opening a new product on camera
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 9 | #1216 | AIR ___ |
| Oct 8 | #1215 | ENDING IN ACTORS NAMED TOM |
| Oct 7 | #1214 | BEST ___ TONY AWARDS |
| Oct 6 | #1213 | ENDING IN TALENTS |
| Oct 5 | #1212 | ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE |
| Oct 4 | #1211 | SILENT ___ |
| Oct 3 | #1210 | ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES |
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 10
Connections #1217 questions
What were the Connections answers on October 10, 2026?
USEFUL WHEN WRITING A PAPER: DRAFT, NOTES, OUTLINE, THESIS. PRESUME: FIGURE, GATHER, IMAGINE, SUPPOSE. SOCIAL MEDIA SECTIONS: FEED, MESSAGES, NOTIFICATIONS, PROFILE. ___BOXING: BEAT, KICK, SHADOW, UN.
What was the purple group in Connections #1217?
___BOXING: BEAT, KICK, SHADOW, UN.
What made Connections #1217 tricky?
Several words hint at a shape or silhouette, which tempts you to group them even though they belong to different categories.