Overview:
Today's NYT Connections puzzle features four categories: places to store clothes, things that come in sticks, famous perfumes, and words that start with things that cloud the air.
Several words may look like they belong together because of shared meanings or associations, making it important to look beyond the obvious connections.
Players can use the hints below to work through the puzzle before checking the complete categories and answers.
The New York Times Connections puzzle for Sunday, October 18, 2026, is game #1225. Players must sort 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared connection. Each group has a different difficulty level, and the challenge is to identify the correct relationship between the words.
Today's board includes words such as ANGEL, BUTTER, HAZEL, DEODORANT, COCO, DYNAMITE, MISTER, FOGERTY, CHEST, INCENSE, VAPORETTO, BUREAU, OBSESSION, TRUNK, OPIUM, and WARDROBE. Some words may appear to share more than one connection, so players need to consider the intended meaning carefully.
Hints for Today's Connections
If you need some help before seeing the answers, here are the clues for all four groups.
Yellow Group: Where you might keep your clothes.
Green Group: A shared packaging format.
Blue Group: Famous fragrances you might find at a perfume counter.
Purple Group: Look for words that begin with things that cloud the air.
These hints can help you identify the four categories without immediately revealing every answer. Try to find the connections yourself before moving to the next section.
One Word From Each Group
If the category hints are not enough, one word from each group can help you get started.
Yellow Group: BUREAU
Green Group: DYNAMITE
Blue Group: COCO
Purple Group: MISTER
Use these words to look for three other words that share the same connection. Remember that each group must contain exactly four words.
Today's Connections Categories
The four categories in today's NYT Connections puzzle are:
Yellow Group: Places to store clothes
Green Group: Things that come in sticks
Blue Group: Famous perfumes
Purple Group: Starting with things that cloud the air
The yellow group focuses on furniture and storage items. The green group brings together products that are commonly sold or used in stick form, while the blue group features well-known perfume names. The purple group relies on wordplay, with each answer beginning with a word related to something that clouds the air.
Today's NYT Connections Answers for October 18
Warning: The complete answers are listed below. Stop reading here if you want to solve the puzzle yourself.
Here are all four groups and their answers for Connections #1225.
Yellow Group – Places to Store Clothes
BUREAU
CHEST
TRUNK
WARDROBE
These words refer to furniture or storage spaces where people can keep their clothes. A bureau and chest provide drawer storage, while a trunk and wardrobe offer other ways to store clothing.
Green Group – Things That Come in Sticks
BUTTER
DEODORANT
DYNAMITE
INCENSE
These items can all come in stick form. Butter can be sold as a stick, deodorant is often packaged in a stick-shaped container, dynamite comes in sticks, and incense is commonly made into slender sticks that can be burned.
Blue Group – Famous Perfumes
ANGEL
COCO
OBSESSION
OPIUM
These are names associated with well-known perfumes. Recognizing the names as fragrance brands or perfume lines helps connect the four words.
Purple Group – Starting With Things That Cloud the Air
FOGERTY
HAZEL
MISTER
VAPORETTO
This is the trickiest group because it relies on wordplay. Each answer begins with a word associated with something that clouds the air: FOG in FOGERTY, HAZE in HAZEL, MIST in MISTER, and VAPOR in VAPORETTO.
The purple group can be difficult to spot because the complete words have their own meanings, and the connection only becomes clear when players focus on their beginnings.
Also Read: NYT Connections Hints and Answers for October 17, 2026 (Game #1224)
Why Today's Puzzle Could Be Tricky
Today's NYT Connections puzzle combines familiar objects, product names, and wordplay. While the clothing-storage category may be easier to identify, the other groups require players to think about how products are packaged, recognize perfume names, and notice hidden word beginnings.
The green group can be confusing because the words do not all describe the same kind of product. Butter, deodorant, dynamite, and incense seem unrelated until players realize that each can come in stick form.
The blue group also depends on familiarity with perfume names. Players who do not regularly encounter these fragrances may need more time to recognize the connection between ANGEL, COCO, OBSESSION, and OPIUM.
The purple group is especially challenging because the connection is hidden at the beginning of each word. Players may focus on the complete words and miss the smaller words related to fog, haze, mist, and vapor.
How to Play NYT Connections
Connections is a daily word game from The New York Times. Players receive a grid of 16 words and must divide them into four groups of four words that share a common connection.
Each group has a different difficulty level, represented by a color:
Yellow: Usually the easiest category to identify.
Green: A little more challenging.
Blue: Often requires more specific knowledge or associations.
Purple: Usually the trickiest group, frequently involving wordplay or unusual connections.
Players select four words and submit their guess. A correct group is removed from the board, while an incorrect guess counts toward the mistake limit. Players can make up to four mistakes before the game ends.
A good strategy is to look for obvious connections first, but avoid submitting a group too quickly. Some words may fit several possible themes, so checking all 16 words before making a selection can help prevent mistakes.
Today's puzzle rewards players who recognize familiar storage items and perfume names while also paying attention to the less obvious connection hidden in the purple group.
More NYT Games to Try
After completing Connections, players can try other New York Times puzzles, including Wordle, Strands, the Mini Crossword, and Connections: Sports Edition.
Each game offers a different challenge, from guessing a hidden word to finding themed words or solving crossword clues. These puzzles are a good way to test vocabulary, improve pattern recognition, and enjoy a short daily brain workout.
A new Connections puzzle arrives the next day with 16 fresh words and four new categories to discover.