Today’s NYT Connections puzzle (#1235) mixes romantic feelings, email terminology, Mars exploration, and a wordplay challenge built around similar-sounding words.
Need a little help solving it? Start with the four hints below. If you still can’t find the connections, the complete answers and explanations are further down.
Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle
Here are the category clues, arranged by color.
- Yellow: Words associated with romantic interest.
- Green: Parts of an email message.
- Blue: Robotic vehicles sent to explore Mars.
- Purple: Words that sound like terms for paths or routes.
The yellow group should be a good starting point. For purple, try saying the words aloud rather than focusing only on their meanings.
All 16 NYT Connections Words for October 28
Here’s the complete word list for puzzle #1235:
CURIOSITY, ROUT, SUBJECT, ATTRACTION, ATTACHMENT, SPIRIT, BODY, COARSE, CRUSH, WEIGH, SIGNATURE, INTEREST, RODE, OPPORTUNITY, FEELINGS, PERSEVERANCE
Several words might seem unrelated at first. However, CURIOSITY and PERSEVERANCE have a connection beyond their everyday meanings, while SUBJECT, BODY, and SIGNATURE point toward a familiar type of written communication.
Ready to check your answers? The next section reveals all four groups.
NYT Connections Answers for October 28, 2026
Spoilers ahead! If you want to solve the puzzle yourself, stop here before reading the solutions.
Yellow: Romantic Liking
- ATTRACTION
- CRUSH
- FEELINGS
- INTEREST
These four words describe romantic interest or affection. You might develop a crush on someone, feel attracted to them, or discover that your feelings have grown stronger over time.
Green: Components of an Email
- ATTACHMENT
- BODY
- SIGNATURE
- SUBJECT
Each word describes a part of an email. The subject identifies the topic, the body contains the message, an attachment adds a file, and the signature identifies the sender or provides contact information.
This group becomes easier to spot when you think about composing an email rather than interpreting the words individually.
Blue: NASA Mars Rovers
- CURIOSITY
- OPPORTUNITY
- PERSEVERANCE
- SPIRIT
These are the names of NASA Mars rovers. The robotic vehicles explored the planet’s surface, gathering scientific information to help researchers understand Mars and its history.
CURIOSITY and PERSEVERANCE are particularly recognizable rover names, but OPPORTUNITY and SPIRIT complete the group.
Purple: Homophones of Paths
- COARSE, which sounds like COURSE
- RODE, which sounds like ROAD
- ROUT, which sounds like ROUTE
- WEIGH, which sounds like WAY
This group relies on pronunciation rather than meaning. Each word sounds like another word associated with a path, road, or route.
The pronunciation of ROUTE varies among English speakers, so this connection may be less obvious depending on how you say the word. Reading the four words aloud can help reveal the intended pattern.
How to Get Better at NYT Connections
If you regularly play Connections, a few habits can help you avoid losing attempts to misleading combinations.
- Look for specific relationships. Four words may share a broad theme without belonging to the same intended category. Look for the connection that explains all four words precisely.
- Consider names and proper nouns. Not every group relies on dictionary definitions. Today’s Mars rover category is a good reminder that familiar names can be part of the puzzle.
- Listen for sound-alike words. When a group seems impossible to connect by meaning, consider homophones, alternate pronunciations, or familiar expressions.
- Don’t rush your final selection. You get only four mistakes, so check each group before submitting it. If a category feels forced, look for another possible combination.
You can find the daily puzzle on the official New York Times Games website.
Final Answer: How Difficult Was Today’s Puzzle?
Today’s Connections puzzle brings together four different kinds of knowledge. The email group relies on everyday experience, while the Mars rover group rewards players who remember NASA missions. Romantic vocabulary makes up the yellow group, and the sound-alike words in purple provide the main wordplay challenge.
How many groups did you solve without help? Share your result with fellow puzzle fans, and follow GamerUrge for more daily puzzle answers, gaming news, and guides.
