Connections Answers
Friday, October 16, 2026
1
SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS
These words all describe small damages or imperfections that appear on the surface of an object. They are often accidental and usually not very deep.
Individual words:
•CHIP: A small piece that has broken off the edge or surface of something hard, like glass, wood, or paint. It leaves a small missing part.
•MARK: A visible stain, line, or spot left on a surface, often by accident. It could be a fingerprint, a pen line, or a dirty spot.
•NICK: A very small, shallow cut or dent, usually on an edge or a smooth surface. It's often caused by a sharp object touching it briefly.
•SCRATCH: A thin, shallow line or cut on a surface, made by something sharp or rough rubbing against it. Think of a cat's claw on furniture.
2
LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES
These are all countries that are 'landlocked.' This means they are completely surrounded by land and do not have any direct access to an ocean or sea.
Individual words:
•CHAD: Chad is a large country located in North-Central Africa. It is famous for Lake Chad, but it has no coastline, meaning no access to the ocean.
•HUNGARY: Hungary is a country in Central Europe, known for its capital Budapest and thermal baths. It's surrounded by other countries, not by the sea.
•LAOS: Laos is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia. It's famous for mountains and the Mekong River but, like the others, it has no coastline on the ocean.
•PARAGUAY: Paraguay is a country in South America, known for its rich Guarani culture. It is one of only two landlocked countries on the entire continent.
3
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MINUS A LETTER
These words are spelled like European countries, but one letter has been removed. The resulting words are common English words or names.
Individual words:
•BULGARI: This word sounds like 'Bulgaria,' a country in Europe, but is missing the last 'a'. It is also a famous Italian luxury brand name.
•CYRUS: This word sounds like 'Cyprus,' an island country in Europe, but is missing the 'p'. It is also a common first or last name, like singer Miley Cyrus.
•HUNGRY: This word means you need food. It also sounds like 'Hungary,' a country in Europe, but is missing the 'a' in its spelling.
•SPAN: This word can mean a bridge or a period of time. It also sounds like 'Spain,' a country in Europe, but is missing the 'i' in its spelling.
4
STARTING WITH WORDS FOR "STYLISH"
These words each begin with a different word that means 'stylish' or 'fashionable' (chic, cool, hip, smart).
Individual words:
•CHICKEN: Chicken is a common farm bird. In this puzzle, it starts with 'chic,' a word meaning very fashionable or elegant.
•COOLIDGE: Calvin Coolidge was a U.S. President. His name begins with 'cool,' meaning fashionable, trendy, or impressive, especially to young people.
•HIPPO: A hippo is a large, water-loving animal from Africa. Here, it starts with 'hip,' a slang word meaning very fashionable and aware of new trends.
•SMARTIES: Smarties are a small, sweet candy in the U.S. The word starts with 'smart,' which means stylish, neat, or intelligent. (U.S. Smarties differ from U.K. ones).