Play Connections #1223
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 #1223 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
Think of the small flaws you might spot on a well-used coffee mug or car door.
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Green group hintGentle hint
These nations have no ocean access at all.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Add back one missing letter and a nation appears.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
The opening letters of each spell out a trendy adjective.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
One landlocked country is nearly identical to a respelled word in another group, and several short words double as first names.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS
- LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES
- EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MINUS A LETTER
- STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH"
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Difficulty: Hard. The missing-letter group is tricky to spot because one answer is nearly a twin of another group's entry, and the hidden-word group needs careful reading.
Connections #1223 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for October 16, 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
CHIP is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS.
Show all four words
CHIP, MARK, NICK, SCRATCH
Show one word
CHAD is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES.
Show all four words
CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS, PARAGUAY
Show one word
BULGARI is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MINUS A LETTER.
Show all four words
BULGARI, CYRUS, HUNGRY, SPAN
Show one word
CHICKEN is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH".
Show all four words
CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO, SMARTIES
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- CHIP: A small broken-off piece leaves a chip in a surface.
- MARK: A blemish or spot on a surface.
- NICK: A small cut or notch in an edge.
- SCRATCH: A thin line scraped into a surface.
- CHAD: Central African country with no sea coast.
- HUNGARY: Central European nation surrounded by other countries.
- LAOS: Southeast Asian country with no coastline.
- PARAGUAY: South American country with no sea access.
- BULGARI: Bulgaria missing its final A.
- CYRUS: Cyprus missing its P.
- HUNGRY: Hungary missing its A.
- SPAN: Spain missing its I.
Purple group explained
- CHICKEN: Starts with CHIC.
- COOLIDGE: Starts with COOL.
- HIPPO: Starts with HIP.
- SMARTIES: Starts with SMART.
What does BULGARI mean?
An Italian luxury brand, founded in Rome, famous for expensive jewelry, watches, and perfume, often spelled Bvlgari. In this puzzle it is Bulgaria with the final letter dropped.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15 | #1222 | LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED |
| Oct 14 | #1221 | STARTING WITH "FEE, FI, FO, FUM" |
| Oct 13 | #1220 | LOOSE ___ |
| Oct 12 | #1219 | WORDS MADE USING U.S. POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS |
| Oct 11 | #1218 | ENDING IN GAMBITS |
| Oct 10 | #1217 | ___BOXING |
| Oct 9 | #1216 | AIR ___ |
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 16
Connections #1223 questions
What were the Connections answers on October 16, 2026?
SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS: CHIP, MARK, NICK, SCRATCH. LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES: CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS, PARAGUAY. EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MINUS A LETTER: BULGARI, CYRUS, HUNGRY, SPAN. STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH": CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO, SMARTIES.
What was the purple group in Connections #1223?
STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH": CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO, SMARTIES.
What made Connections #1223 tricky?
One landlocked country is nearly identical to a respelled word in another group, and several short words double as first names.