NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, October 15 (game #1222)

The New York Times Connections puzzle for October 15, 2026 (game #1222) challenges players to categorize sixteen words into four distinct groups based on shared themes. Today's puzzle features categories ranging from food preservation methods to sports scoring terms and low-lying landforms. The solution requires identifying specific associations: 'Ways to preserve food' includes Cure, Dry, Pickle, and Smoke; 'Things you can score in sports' comprises Basket, Goal, Run, and Touchdown; 'Lowest part' covers Base, Bottom, Foot, and Foundation; and the trickier 'Low landforms with a letter changed' includes Cannon, Forge, Racine, and Volley. The game, which allows for four mistakes, remains a popular daily mental exercise. Players are encouraged to watch out for common traps, such as words that seem related but do not fit the specific category logic. The puzzle is available for free on the New York Times Games website.