Play Connections #1224
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 #1224 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 little sounds your phone makes when something new arrives.
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Green group hintGentle hint
These words go with taking a picture or with the picture itself.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Sideways-walking shellfish come in these varieties, each with a descriptive first name.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Put a Romance-language article in front of each to get places and an opera house.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
A few short sound-like words, especially SNAP, can pull you toward the phone sounds group when they really belong with the picture words.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- DIGITAL NOTIFICATIONS
- PHOTO
- KINDS OF CRABS
- LA ___
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Difficulty: Medium. Three groups are friendly and familiar, but the last one asks you to spot a shared foreign-language article.
Connections #1224 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for October 17, 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
ALERT is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is DIGITAL NOTIFICATIONS.
Show all four words
ALERT, CHIME, DING, PING
Show one word
PRINT is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is PHOTO.
Show all four words
PRINT, SHOT, SNAP, STILL
Show one word
FIDDLER is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is KINDS OF CRABS.
Show all four words
FIDDLER, HERMIT, KING, SNOW
Show one word
BOHÈME is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is LA ___.
Show all four words
BOHÈME, BREA, PAZ, SCALA
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- ALERT: A warning message that pops up on your screen
- CHIME: A soft bell tone signaling a new message
- DING: A quick sound that tells you something arrived
- PING: A short electronic sound announcing a message
- PRINT: A picture made on paper from a negative or file
- SHOT: Another word for a photograph you take
- SNAP: A casual, quick photo
- STILL: A single frame, as opposed to moving video
- FIDDLER: A small crab with one oversized claw
- HERMIT: A crab that lives in borrowed shells
- KING: A huge crab caught in Alaskan waters
- SNOW: A cold-water crab with long legs, often served in clusters
Purple group explained
- BOHÈME: Puccini opera: La Bohème
- BREA: California city famous for nearby tar pits: La Brea
- PAZ: Bolivia's seat of government: La Paz
- SCALA: Famous Milan opera house: La Scala
What does BREA mean?
A city in Orange County, California, east of Los Angeles. The name is Spanish for tar, from the nearby tar pits. In the puzzle it follows 'La' to make La Brea, as in the La Brea Tar Pits.
What does SCALA mean?
La Scala is the famous opera house in Milan, Italy, opened in 1778. Its name is Italian for 'the staircase'. Here it completes the 'LA ___' group.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16 | #1223 | STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH" |
| 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 |
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 17
Connections #1224 questions
What were the Connections answers on October 17, 2026?
DIGITAL NOTIFICATIONS: ALERT, CHIME, DING, PING. PHOTO: PRINT, SHOT, SNAP, STILL. KINDS OF CRABS: FIDDLER, HERMIT, KING, SNOW. LA ___: BOHÈME, BREA, PAZ, SCALA.
What was the purple group in Connections #1224?
LA ___: BOHÈME, BREA, PAZ, SCALA.
What made Connections #1224 tricky?
A few short sound-like words, especially SNAP, can pull you toward the phone sounds group when they really belong with the picture words.