Connections Today: Hints and Answers for #1321 — October 13
Sixteen tiles, four hidden groups of four, ordered yellow to purple. The hints start with a two-word nudge per group and only name a category five rungs later.
Today's board
The sixteen tiles as dealt. Reveal a group below to tint and caption its tiles here.
Connections hints, one rung at a time
Six rungs, softest first. This page remembers which ones you opened while this board is current.
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Hint 1: Four one-line nudges, one per group
The softest hint there is.
- Yellow
- Refined judgment
- Green
- Secure with force
- Blue
- Trophy examples
- Purple
- Idiomatic phrases
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Hint 2: What links each group, described
No titles, no tiles named.
Yellow group
These words all relate to a natural ability to make fine distinctions or assessments.
Green group
These words all describe ways to attach or hold something firmly in place.
Blue group
These words are all names of awards or symbols given to winners in various competitive events.
Purple group
These phrases all use a particular word to describe something that is unconventional or unpredictable.
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Hint 3: Board facts
Every tile is a single word here.
- Tiles
- 16 across 4 groups
- Longest tile
- 6 characters
- Shortest tile
- 3 characters
- Multi-word tiles
- 0
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Hint 4: The trap on this board
No group is named.
Some cards could fit into more than one group, especially those with multiple meanings or uses. Be cautious with words like 'sense' and 'tie', which could apply to different categories.
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Hint 5: The four category titles
Half the answer; the groupings are still yours.
- Yellow
- DISCERNMENT
- Green
- FASTEN
- Blue
- SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES
- Purple
- LOOSE ___
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Hint 6: One tile from each group
The anchor most people misplace.
- Yellow — DISCERNMENT
- DISCERNMENT
- Green — FASTEN
- TETHER
- Blue — SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES
- JACKET
- Purple — LOOSE ___
- CANNON
Today's Connections answers, group by group
Spoilers below. Opening a group tints and captions its four tiles on the board above.
Yellow group · 4 tiles
DISCERNMENT
EYE, FLAIR, SENSE, TASTE. The yellow group, 'DISCERNMENT', consists of 'EYE', 'FLAIR', 'SENSE', 'TASTE', all relating to refined judgment or instinct.
Green group · 4 tiles
FASTEN
HITCH, LASH, TETHER, TIE. The green group, 'FASTEN', includes 'HITCH', 'LASH', 'TETHER', 'TIE', which are all ways to secure or attach something.
Blue group · 4 tiles
SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES
BELT, CUP, JACKET, RING. The blue group, 'SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES', comprises 'BELT', 'CUP', 'JACKET', 'RING', all of which are awarded to champions in various sports.
Purple group · 4 tiles
LOOSE ___
CANNON, CHANGE, ENDS, LIPS. The purple group, 'LOOSE ___', features 'CANNON', 'CHANGE', 'ENDS', 'LIPS', which are all part of common idiomatic phrases.
This board by the numbers
edited by Wyna Liu.
- Puzzle
- #1321 · Tuesday, October 13, 2026
- Tiles
- 16 in a 4 × 4 grid
- Groups
- 4, yellow to purple
- Multi-word tiles
- 0
- Longest tile
- TETHER
- Mistakes allowed
- 4 before the board locks
The last board we archived
The newest archived page is Connections answers for #1317, Monday, October 12, 2026, created once its date stopped being current everywhere on Earth.
More puzzles today
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Today's NYT Pips hints and answers
Easy, medium and hard boards, rules first and walkthroughs last.
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Today's NYT Wordle hints and answer
Letter shape, vowels and meaning, with the answer kept last.
How Connections works, in short
Submit four tiles you think belong together. Correct ones lock in; a wrong guess costs one of four lives, and "one away" means three were right. Solve by elimination: clear the group you are surest of, then re-read what is left. Our full Connections guide covers the traps.
NYT Connections questions we get asked
When does a new NYT Connections puzzle appear?
At midnight in your own time zone, not New York time. This page resolves your local date first.
What are the Connections categories for October 13?
In difficulty order: DISCERNMENT; FASTEN; SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES; LOOSE ___. Yellow is the giveaway, purple the wordplay one.
Which tiles are the traps in Connections #1321?
Some cards could fit into more than one group, especially those with multiple meanings or uses. Be cautious with words like 'sense' and 'tie', which could apply to different categories.
How do I get a Connections hint without spoiling the grid?
Work down the ladder: a nudge per group, the link described, the board counted, the trap. Titles arrive at rung five, members at rung six.
What are all the Connections answers for October 13?
Yellow — DISCERNMENT: EYE, FLAIR, SENSE, TASTE. Green — FASTEN: HITCH, LASH, TETHER, TIE. Blue — SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES: BELT, CUP, JACKET, RING. Purple — LOOSE ___: CANNON, CHANGE, ENDS, LIPS.
Is TodayHint affiliated with The New York Times?
No — TodayHint is independent. Strands, Connections, Pips and NYT are trademarks of The New York Times Company.