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

Looking for a different day? A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'.

If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, October 14 (game #1221) .

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories.

It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course.

I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1222) - today's words (Image credit: New York Times) Today's NYT Connections words are… SMOKE BASKET DRY FOOT VOLLEY CANNON RUN PICKLE BASE GOAL FORGE FOUNDATION CURE RACINE BOTTOM TOUCHDOWN NYT Connections today (game #1222) - hint #1 - group hints What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups? YELLOW: Keep things edible for longer GREEN: Game achievements BLUE: Sink down to see these PURPLE: Altered geography Need more clues? We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles… NYT Connections today (game #1222) - hint #2 - group answers What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups? YELLOW: WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD GREEN: THINGS YOU CAN SCORE IN SPORTS BLUE: LOWEST PART PURPLE: LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1222) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today's Connections, game #1222, are… YELLOW: WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD: CURE, DRY, PICKLE, SMOKE GREEN: THINGS YOU CAN SCORE IN SPORTS: BASKET, GOAL, RUN, TOUCHDOWN BLUE: LOWEST PART: BASE, BOTTOM, FOOT, FOUNDATION PURPLE: LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED: CANNON, FORGE, RACINE, VOLLEY My rating: Hard My score: 1 mistake Kudos if you were switched on enough to spot canyon, gorge, ravine and valley in the tiles that formed the purple group’s LOW LANDFORMS WITH A LETTER CHANGED.

This kind of clever letter altering trickery always foxes me.

Instead, I fell for today’s most obvious trap and linked PICKLE, BASKET, FOOT and VOLLEY, thinking that “ball” was the connection (I could have included CANNON and BASE, too).

Fortunately, this was the end of my mistakes and I saw the real reason PICKLE and BASKET were in the game.