Play Connections #1230
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 #1230 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 someone who says what they mean without sugarcoating it.
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Green group hintGentle hint
Software add-ons and pieces you might download for your laptop.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Physics class ingredients for how quickly work gets done.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Each one pairs with a word for a faucet.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
The communication word in the last group tempts you to join the computer add-ons, and EXTENSION also sounds like phone talk, which muddies both groups.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- FORTHRIGHT
- THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER
- QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWER
- ___ TAP
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Difficulty: Medium. The tech and physics groups are clear once you spot them, but the fill-in-the-blank group hides among words that look like they belong elsewhere.
Connections #1230 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for October 23, 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
DIRECT is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is FORTHRIGHT.
Show all four words
DIRECT, FRANK, OPEN, VOCAL
Show one word
DRIVER is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER.
Show all four words
DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN, UPDATE
Show one word
DISTANCE is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWER.
Show all four words
DISTANCE, FORCE, POWER, TIME
Show one word
DOUBLE is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ___ TAP.
Show all four words
DOUBLE, LOVE, PHONE, SPINAL
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- DIRECT: Goes straight to the point without hedging.
- FRANK: Honest and plain-spoken.
- OPEN: Willing to share thoughts without hiding anything.
- VOCAL: Readily speaks up about opinions.
- DRIVER: Software that lets hardware talk to your system.
- EXTENSION: A browser add-on that adds features.
- PLUGIN: A software add-on for an app or site.
- UPDATE: A patch or new version you install.
- DISTANCE: How far the push moves something.
- FORCE: The push or pull applied.
- POWER: The result: work done per second.
- TIME: How long the work takes.
Purple group explained
- DOUBLE: A double tap is two quick touches on a screen.
- LOVE: A love tap is a gentle playful pat.
- PHONE: A phone tap is secret listening on a call.
- SPINAL: A spinal tap is a medical fluid sampling test.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 22 | #1229 | STARTS OF BEDDING |
| Oct 21 | #1228 | DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION) |
| Oct 20 | #1227 | HOMOPHONES OF DISNEY CHARACTERS |
| Oct 19 | #1226 | ENDING IN BIRDS |
| Oct 18 | #1225 | STARTING WITH THINGS THAT CLOUD THE AIR |
| Oct 17 | #1224 | LA ___ |
| Oct 16 | #1223 | STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH" |
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 23
Connections #1230 questions
What were the Connections answers on October 23, 2026?
FORTHRIGHT: DIRECT, FRANK, OPEN, VOCAL. THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER: DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN, UPDATE. QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWER: DISTANCE, FORCE, POWER, TIME. ___ TAP: DOUBLE, LOVE, PHONE, SPINAL.
What was the purple group in Connections #1230?
___ TAP: DOUBLE, LOVE, PHONE, SPINAL.
What made Connections #1230 tricky?
The communication word in the last group tempts you to join the computer add-ons, and EXTENSION also sounds like phone talk, which muddies both groups.