Today’s word-game hints, updated daily
HintCorner

Daily word-game guide

Verified archive for October 26, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1233

NYT Connections #1233 Hints & Answers (October 26, 2026)

The October 26, 2026 board combines conversational replies, kinds of mats, AKC dog breed groups, and horror-movie titles altered by one final letter.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Group 1Category hidden
Group 2Category hidden
Group 3Category hidden
Group 4Category hidden

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

October 26, 2026 puzzle explained

October 26, 2026 Connections overview

Difficulty descriptions are player-facing metadata. The official category relationships are preserved exactly, including “kinds of mats,” “AKC dog breed groups,” and “horror movies with last letter changed.”

Overall difficultyThe board ranges from direct category matches to a final letter-change wordplay set.Biggest trapSeveral entries can suggest everyday phrases or activities, so test whether a proposed set accounts for all four words under the exact category title.Best first moveStart with the four responses that can naturally complete the prompt “How are you?”: CHILLING, MANAGING, NOT BAD, and SAME OLD.

Why the board is deceptive

The conversational group uses four answers to the question “How are you?” rather than four synonyms or identical grammatical forms.

The remaining sets move from kinds of mats to AKC dog breed groups and then to horror movies with the last letter changed.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Look first for the response set, then confirm the literal kinds of mats and the AKC group labels. Leave the four unusual-looking entries for the final category, where changing a last letter points toward horror movies.

Spoilers below

October 26, 2026 groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

Conversational repliesReveal this group

What connects CHILLING, MANAGING, NOT BAD and SAME OLD?

CHILLING · MANAGING · NOT BAD · SAME OLD

RESPONSES TO "HOW ARE YOU?". Each word or phrase can serve as a response to “How are you?” The category is about responses, so the entries need not be synonyms or identical in tone.

Best anchor: Use the question itself as the anchor.

Mat categoriesReveal this group

What connects PRAYER, WELCOME, WRESTLING and YOGA?

PRAYER · WELCOME · WRESTLING · YOGA

KINDS OF MATS. PRAYER, WELCOME, WRESTLING, and YOGA are the four words assigned to the official category “KINDS OF MATS.” The relationship is exactly kinds of mats.

Best anchor: Attach MAT to each entry and check the category.

AKC group labelsReveal this group

What connects HERDING, HOUND, SPORTING and TOY?

HERDING · HOUND · SPORTING · TOY

AKC DOG BREED GROUPS. HERDING, HOUND, SPORTING, and TOY are the four words assigned to “AKC DOG BREED GROUPS.” The category identifies them as group labels, not as descriptions of the other entries.

Best anchor: The phrase AKC DOG BREED GROUPS fixes the intended referent.

Altered horror-movie titlesReveal this group

What connects HALLOWEEK, HOSTED, JAWN and PSYCHS?

HALLOWEEK · HOSTED · JAWN · PSYCHS

HORROR MOVIES WITH LAST LETTER CHANGED. HALLOWEEK, HOSTED, JAWN, and PSYCHS are the four entries assigned to the official category about horror movies with the last letter changed.

Best anchor: The odd spellings signal the letter-change route.

October 26, 2026 supporting guides

Why the trickiest words belong together

These focused articles go beyond the answer: they explain the exact relationship, the convincing red herrings and how to recognize the pattern again.

Supporting clue guideResponses to “How Are You?” in ConnectionsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideKinds of Mats in ConnectionsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideAKC Dog Breed Groups in ConnectionsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHorror Movies With the Last Letter ChangedExplain this connection Supporting clue guideDefinitions for all 16 puzzle wordsExplain this connection

Browse every Connections clue explainer →

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use this puzzle’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    RESPONSES TO "HOW ARE YOU?"

    Use the question itself as the anchor.

  2. 2
    KINDS OF MATS

    Attach MAT to each entry and check the category.

  3. 3
    AKC DOG BREED GROUPS

    The phrase AKC DOG BREED GROUPS fixes the intended referent.

  4. 4
    HORROR MOVIES WITH LAST LETTER CHANGED

    The odd spellings signal the letter-change route.

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

This puzzle’s best first move: Start with the four responses that can naturally complete the prompt “How are you?”: CHILLING, MANAGING, NOT BAD, and SAME OLD..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

A relatively direct phrase-completion set. groupConversational replies
RESPONSES TO "HOW ARE YOU?": Use the question itself as the anchor.
A straightforward noun-category group once “mat” is supplied. groupMat categories
KINDS OF MATS: Attach MAT to each entry and check the category.
A category-knowledge set with familiar-looking general words. groupAKC group labels
AKC DOG BREED GROUPS: The phrase AKC DOG BREED GROUPS fixes the intended referent.
A late set requiring the letter-change instruction as well as title recognition. groupAltered horror-movie titles
HORROR MOVIES WITH LAST LETTER CHANGED: The odd spellings signal the letter-change route.

Language background

Useful guides for this puzzle’s wordplay

These independent language explainers add definition, origin or usage context where it genuinely helps.

Questions players ask

Questions about this puzzle

What makes Connections #1233 tricky?

Several entries can suggest everyday phrases or activities, so test whether a proposed set accounts for all four words under the exact category title.

Where should I start with the October 26, 2026 puzzle?

Start with the four responses that can naturally complete the prompt “How are you?”: CHILLING, MANAGING, NOT BAD, and SAME OLD.

About the guide editor

Jordan Ellis

Jordan connects editorial explanations with practice tools, custom puzzles and the site’s future original games.

Read Jordan’s profile →