NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, October 21 (game #1228)

(Image credit: New York Times) Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Connections today (game #1228) - today's words (Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…ENGLISH HORNLEAPFROGALPHA DOGSWEETBREADHOT POTATOMANTIS SHRIMPSUNFLOWERSBIG CHEESEAMERICANGOTHICGRAPE-NUTSCAMPBELL'SSOUP CANDUCK DUCKGOOSETOP BANANATHE SCREAMMUSICAL CHAIRSHEAVYWEIGHTNYT Connections today (game #1228) - hint #1 - group hintsWhat are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: Playground contestsGREEN: Main character energyBLUE: Iconic artworksPURPLE: Very misleading namesNeed more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.NYT Connections today (game #1228) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMESGREEN: IMPORTANT PERSONBLUE: FAMOUS PAINTINGSPURPLE: DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION)Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Connections today (game #1228) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #1228, are…YELLOW: CLASSIC CHILDREN'S GAMES: DUCK DUCK GOOSE, HOT POTATO, LEAPFROG, MUSICAL CHAIRSGREEN: IMPORTANT PERSON: ALPHA DOG, BIG CHEESE, HEAVYWEIGHT, TOP BANANABLUE: FAMOUS PAINTINGS: AMERICAN GOTHIC, CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN, SUNFLOWERS, THE SCREAMPURPLE: DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION): ENGLISH HORN, GRAPE-NUTS, MANTIS SHRIMP, SWEETBREADMy rating: EasyMy score: PerfectIt’s been a while since I’ve completed a game in yellow-green-blue-purple difficulty order, something I never do deliberately but which I always find oddly satisfying when it happens.Yesterday’s Strands featured DUCK DUCK GOOSE, so I was immediately drawn to begin with that and the other CLASSIC CHILDREN’S GAMES — my favorite when I was a mischievous eight-year-old was a game called Knock Down Ginger which involved ringing people’s doorbells and running away. A bit mean, in hindsight, and now something that Ring Doorbells have possibly seen the end of.DOUBLE MISNOMERS (NEITHER WORD IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION) is an excellent group, but my ignorance of three of the four tiles prevented me from making the connection; the only one I was familiar with was GRAPE NUTS, a cereal whose absence of grapes and nuts has always puzzled me.Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, October 20, 2026, game #1227)YELLOW: FINISH: CLOSE, END, STOP, WRAPGREEN: LACKEY: MINION, POODLE, PUPPET, STOOGEBLUE: MUSTACHES: CHEVRON, HORSESHOE, PENCIL, WALRUSPURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF DISNEY CHARACTERS: ARIAL, BELL, DOCK, MINIWhat is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.