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Spoiler-free hints first: Today’s Connections board groups words about surface flaws, countries without coastlines, altered European country names, and words that begin with synonyms for “stylish.” The complete answers for Connections #1223 appear below the hints.
Today’s NYT Connections hints for Friday, October 16
Connections presents 16 words and asks you to divide them into four groups of four. Each group shares a specific connection, but some words are designed to look as though they fit more than one category. The puzzle is available through the NYT Games website and mobile app.
Yellow hint
Look for words that can describe flaws, blemishes or damage on a surface.
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These are countries that do not have a coastline.
Blue hint
Think of European countries after a letter is removed or changed to create the board entry.
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Purple hint
Add a word meaning “stylish” to the beginning of each answer.
Connections #1223 answers and categories
Here is the complete solution for Friday’s puzzle. The 16 board entries are BULGARI, CHAD, CHICKEN, CHIP, COOLIDGE, CYRUS, HIPPO, HUNGARY, HUNGRY, LAOS, MARK, NICK, PARAGUAY, SCRATCH, SMARTIES and SPAN.
| Category | Words | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Surface imperfections | CHIP, MARK, NICK, SCRATCH | Each can describe a flaw, blemish or small area of damage on a surface. |
| Landlocked countries | CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS, PARAGUAY | Each country has no coastline. |
| European countries minus or altered letters | BULGARI, CYRUS, HUNGRY, SPAN | Each board form comes from a European country name through a specified spelling change. |
| Starting with words for “stylish” | CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO, SMARTIES | Each begins with CHIC, COOL, HIP or SMART, a word associated with being stylish. |
Why each group works
Yellow: CHIP, MARK, NICK and SCRATCH
This is the most literal group. A chip is a small piece missing from paint, glass, stone or another finish. A mark can be a visible spot or blemish. A nick is a small notch or cut, commonly on an edge. A scratch is a thin abrasion or line on a surface. The words can describe similar damage, although their exact use depends on the material and context.
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Green: CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS and PARAGUAY
All four are sovereign states with no ocean coastline. Chad is in central Africa; Hungary is in central Europe; Laos is in Southeast Asia; and Paraguay is in South America. Their locations are widely separated, so geography rather than spelling is the shared property.
Blue: BULGARI, CYRUS, HUNGRY and SPAN
This category uses country names as raw material, then changes the spelling:
- BULGARI is Bulgaria without its final A.
- CYRUS changes the P in Cyprus to S.
- HUNGRY is Hungary without its final A.
- SPAN is Spain without the I.
The altered forms are what appear on the board, not the original country names. This distinction separates HUNGRY from the unmodified HUNGARY in the landlocked group.
Purple: CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO and SMARTIES
Each answer starts with a short word meaning stylish or fashionable:
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- COOL + IDGE = COOLIDGE.
- HIP + PO = HIPPO.
- SMART + IES = SMARTIES.
The wordplay is based on the beginning of each longer entry; the remaining letters do not need to form a separate meaningful word.
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How to use the solution without spoiling future puzzles
- Start with the yellow hint and test the four surface-damage terms. If you can identify four words that fit cleanly, submit that group first.
- For the green category, check whether four apparent place names are countries and then verify that none has a coastline.
- Hold back country-looking entries that seem almost, but not quite, familiar. Compare them letter by letter with European country names before making a guess.
- Leave the purple group for last if needed. Say each remaining word aloud and inspect its first three to five letters for CHIC, COOL, HIP or SMART.
- Remember that Connections allows only four mistakes. A word can be related to a category in ordinary language and still be intended for another group, so prioritize the exact four-word pattern.
What makes #1223 tricky
The puzzle sets up two deliberate spelling traps. HUNGARY is a complete country name in the landlocked group, while HUNGRY is a one-letter-shortened form used in the European-country wordplay group. Likewise, the purple answers resemble ordinary nouns and a surname, so their shared pattern is easier to see after the other categories are removed. Separating direct definitions from letter manipulation is the key to avoiding an early error.
At a glance
- Yellow: CHIP, MARK, NICK, SCRATCH.
- Green: CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS, PARAGUAY.
- Blue: BULGARI, CYRUS, HUNGRY, SPAN.
- Purple: CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO, SMARTIES.
Current answer guides list the same board and category breakdown for October 16, 2026: Five Letter Words’ Connections entry and LinkedIn Pinpoint Answer’s guide. The puzzle is written by crossword editor Wyna Liu, according to the coverage cited by GameDaily; no puzzle-specific statistic or attributable quotation has been published for #1223.
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