Connections Clues for Today
Want a clue, not the answer? Every group below starts with one line that points at the idea without naming the category or using any of the sixteen words. If that is not enough, open a starter word, then the category. Nothing is revealed until you tap it.
Today's Connections clues
Clue: Restless, idle handiwork on something you were told to leave alone.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: TINKER
Show the category
Mess (With)
Clue: Tiny structures tucked inside your head that turn sound into signals.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: STIRRUP
Show the category
Parts of the Ear
Clue: One short word fits after all four. Picture a fast-food chain, a Philadelphia landmark, a holiday song and an underwater chamber.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: TACO
Show the category
___ Bell
Clue: One short word fits before all four. Think of flared 1970s trousers, a Sylvia Plath novel, a salad vegetable and a structure that holds clocks or chimes.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: JAR
Show the category
Bell ___
Still stuck after the clues? The answers page keeps all four groups behind one button, and the full hints page for puzzle #1234 adds the reasoning and the red herrings.
How the clue levels work
- The clue. A single sentence that nudges you toward the theme. It never contains a puzzle word.
- One starter word. A single word that belongs to the group, so you can start building it yourself.
- The category. The exact name of the group, for when you want to find the other three words on your own.
- The answer. All four words, kept on a separate page so you never see them by accident.
Yesterday's Connections clues
- Something you stand, kneel or stretch on, at a front door or in a gym.
- Casual answers you give when a friend asks how things are going.
- Ways a kennel club sorts its dogs into official divisions.
- Each one is a scary classic wearing a small disguise.
Open yesterday's full hints and answers →
Clues for earlier puzzles
- Connections clues for October 25, 2026 Puzzle #1232
- Connections clues for October 24, 2026 Puzzle #1231
- Connections clues for October 23, 2026 Puzzle #1230
- Connections clues for October 22, 2026 Puzzle #1229
- Connections clues for October 21, 2026 Puzzle #1228
- Connections clues for October 20, 2026 Puzzle #1227
- Connections clues for October 19, 2026 Puzzle #1226
Browse every past puzzle in the archive →
Using clues without spoiling the puzzle
- Read all sixteen words first, then open the clue for the group you are least sure about.
- Take one level at a time. A clue plus your own guess often beats opening the category right away.
- If the clue fits five words, one of them is a decoy. Look for the word that has a better home in another group.
- Finish the easy group first. Four fewer words makes the rest much easier to see.
- Stuck on wordplay? Read the common category types to learn what the editors like to hide.
Questions about Connections clues
What is the difference between a Connections clue and a hint?
Nothing important. People use both words for a nudge that points toward a group without solving it. On this site every group has a one-line clue first, then one word from the group, then the category, so you decide how much help to take. Today's clues →
Which Connections group should I use a clue for first?
Start with the group you feel least sure about only if you are truly stuck. Otherwise open the yellow clue first: finishing the easiest group removes four words and makes every other group easier to see.
Are your hints spoiler-free?
Yes. Each group starts with a one-line hint. A single word from the group and then the category name sit behind separate buttons, and the full answers stay hidden until you open them. You choose how much to reveal.
How are the hints on this site made?
Each day's hints, category explanations and red-herring notes are drafted with AI assistance and run through automated checks. A hint is rejected if it contains any of the 16 puzzle words or the key words of its category, so it nudges without giving the answer away. Some older archive puzzles start with simpler hints built from the shape of the category, under the same no-spoiler rules, and are upgraded to written hints over time.