Tim Mulkerin’s connection guide for NYT Connections #1,233 gives readers the full solution set for Monday, October 26, 2026. The post opens by telling players to read on for clues, tips, strategies, and then the answers, which matters most for anyone trying to finish that day’s board without wandering through spoilers.
“If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Monday, October 26, 2026, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories.” Mulkerin wrote that opening as he framed the puzzle around the four groupings: yellow, green, blue, and purple.
NYT Connections #1,233 answers
The yellow group was the easiest starting point. Mulkerin said, “The yellow grouping is considered to be the most straightforward.” Its theme was responses to “How are you?” and the words were CHILLING, MANAGING, NOT BAD, and SAME OLD. For players still sorting the board, that set works because each phrase reads like a casual reply rather than a noun pile-up.
The green category centered on kinds of mats. Its words were PRAYER, WELCOME, WRESTLING, and YOGA. The clue trail pointed to items you might step or kneel on, which is why the group stays tight even when the individual words look unrelated at first glance.
AKC dog groups and purple movies
The blue category pulled from AKC dog breed groups: HERDING, HOUND, SPORTING, and TOY. The clues described things that have paws and waggy tails, so the set rewards players who recognize the classification rather than the surface meaning of each word. A related framing appears in another puzzle explainer, gen Z business networking fear, where category recognition also does the heavy lifting.
The purple set was the trickiest. Mulkerin identified it as horror movies with last letter changed, and the words were built around that wordplay style. He noted that PSYCHS becomes a title tied to an iconic shower scene when the final letter changes, and WELCOME goes with a word that could describe something outside a front door.
Brooklyn, New York and the author bio
Mulkerin’s byline also brings a personal note to the post. He has worked in digital media and the tech world since 2016, holds a bachelor’s degree in art history, lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is pursuing a master’s degree in communicative sciences and disorders from New York University. That background sits beside the answers, which is typical of the puzzle format but also gives readers a clearer sense of who is unpacking the grid.
The setup creates a small contradiction that puzzle readers know well: the post warns that spoilers are below while still encouraging people to scroll slowly for only the hints they need. For anyone trying to solve before looking, that means the page is useful in stages; for anyone already stuck, the full answer set is there at once. Another puzzle-related read, a U.S. Open singles chance, shows how a connection can be the key detail even when the surrounding context changes.
