Puzzle Hints
Here are today’s Connections hints and answers for NYT Connections No. 1,243 on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Today’s Connections hints
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough purple group.
Yellow group hint: Tall shoes.
Green group hint: Bloom where you’re planted.
Blue group hint: Same shape.
Purple group hint: Drink up!
Puzzle Answers
Yellow group: Kinds of heels.
Green group: Flowers.
Blue group: Teardrop-shaped things.
Purple group: Liquors with last letters changed.
CNET publishes daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is kinds of heels.
The four answers are kitten, platform, spike and wedge.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is flowers.
The four answers are anemone, lotus, narcissus and rose.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is teardrop-shaped things.
The four answers are pear, raindrop, speedbag and uvula.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is liquors with last letters changed.
The four answers are Brando (brandy), gig (gin), run (rum) and whisker (whiskey).
How to Play
In Connections, you look at a grid of 16 words and pick four words that have a connection to one another. You do this four times until all 16 words in the puzzle are grouped. The tough part is that puzzle editor Wyna Liu chooses words that could fit in multiple groups.
The Times has a Connections Bot to receive a numeric score and have the program analyze your answers after you play.
