Yellow group
Most direct
First nudge
To set something down where you want it.
Stronger nudge
Four verbs that mean roughly the same thing as put.
Group name
Put
Connections hint #1208: October 1, 2026
Step-by-step hints and answers for Connections #1208, from Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Thursday's grid comes with one very convincing decoy: a word that looks like it belongs with three others but is needed somewhere else entirely. Two groups are direct once you spot them, one asks for a little music memory from about twenty years ago, and the purple group is the toughest of the day.
- NATIONAL
- KEN
- NECK
- SHINS
- ACRO
- STICK
- WAIST
- WALKMEN
- SITUATE
- SLEEVE
- CROSS
- PLACE
- SUD
- POSITION
- CHEST
- DECEMBERISTS
Hints for Connections #1208
Open one step at a time. Step three names the group, so stop earlier if you want more of a challenge. New to the game? Read how to play Connections first, or see what the four colors mean.
Green group
Fairly direct
First nudge
Think of a tailor holding a tape measure.
Stronger nudge
The numbers a tailor needs before making a formal shirt.
Group name
Dress shirt measurements
Blue group
Takes some thought
First nudge
Think of guitar bands from the 2000s indie scene.
Stronger nudge
Each one is a band name once you add 'The' in front.
Group name
2000s indie rock bands, with "the"
Purple group
Trickiest
First nudge
Each entry is only the beginning of something longer.
Stronger nudge
Finish each one and you get a puzzle printed in a famous newspaper.
Group name
Starts of NYT print puzzles
Show the trap
One word is a body part sitting right next to three other body parts, so it seems to complete that group. Look closer: the other three are places a tailor measures, and this one is not. It belongs with the musicians.
More ways to dodge red herrings: our Connections tips.
Word meanings
Some meanings point toward a group, so they stay hidden until you open them.
Show meanings for 6 tricky words
- ACRO
- Not a word on its own here. It is the start of acrostic, a puzzle whose answers spell out a hidden quotation.
- SUD
- On its own, one bubble of soapy foam. Here it is the first three letters of a familiar number-grid puzzle.
- KEN
- Someone's range of knowledge, as in beyond my ken. It is also the start of KenKen, an arithmetic grid puzzle.
- WALKMEN
- Plural of the classic portable cassette player, and the name of a New York indie rock band.
- SITUATE
- To place something in a particular position or setting. The formal member of its group.
- SHINS
- The fronts of your lower legs, and the name of an indie band from New Mexico. Only one of those meanings matters today.
Answers for Connections #1208
This section shows all four groups. Only open it if you're finished or ready to give up.
Show all four groups
-
Put
PLACE, POSITION, SITUATE, STICK
Four verbs for putting something in a spot: two are everyday, one is formal, and one is casual.
-
Dress shirt measurements
CHEST, NECK, SLEEVE, WAIST
The four measurements on a dress shirt label or a tailor's order form.
-
2000s indie rock bands, with "the"
DECEMBERISTS, NATIONAL, SHINS, WALKMEN
The Decemberists, The National, The Shins and The Walkmen were all prominent indie rock bands in the 2000s.
-
Starts of NYT print puzzles
ACRO, CROSS, KEN, SUD
Add letters to get the names of print puzzles: ACROstic, CROSSword, KENken and SUDoku.
The solve at a glance
DECEMBERISTS is the best place to start, because it can only be a band. Say it with "The" in front and NATIONAL and WALKMEN follow, which pulls SHINS out of the body parts. The tailor's four, CHEST, NECK, SLEEVE and WAIST, are then easy. Of the last eight, ACRO, KEN and SUD look like fragments, so ask what longer words they could begin: CROSS joins them, and PLACE, POSITION, SITUATE and STICK are what remains.
Want to get better at spotting groups? Start with what the four colors mean.
Answers checked against the official answers by Alan. This puzzle appeared on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
More Connections puzzles
Every puzzle keeps its own page with the same nudges, meanings and answers, so you can go back to any day.
Looking for a different day? Use the links below, or head to today's Connections hint. Every puzzle from October 2026 is listed on the October 2026 archive page.