Connections · Relationship
NYT Print Puzzles in Connections: ACRO, CROSS, KEN and SUD
ACRO, CROSS, KEN and SUD begin the names ACROSTIC, CROSSWORD, KENKEN and SUDOKU. That is the relationship behind STARTS OF NYT PRINT PUZZLES, the purple group in Connections #1208 on October 1, 2026.
Published
Connections #1208 on 2026-10-01 put this exact word or relationship in play.
The four names behind the tiles
| Tile | Puzzle name | What kind of puzzle is it? |
|---|---|---|
| ACRO | ACROSTIC | A clue-based word puzzle in which answers help fill a quotation. |
| CROSS | CROSSWORD | A word grid filled using intersecting answers to clues. |
| KEN | KENKEN | A number grid using arithmetic cages and row-and-column constraints. |
| SUD | SUDOKU | A number-placement grid with row, column and box constraints. |
The category points to puzzle names associated with the newspaper's print offerings. It is not a list of every game currently available in the NYT Games app.
Why the connection is hard to spot
CROSS and KEN have familiar standalone meanings. ACRO and SUD look more like abbreviations or unfinished words. Searching only for four related definitions can therefore lead away from the answer.
The useful move is to extend each entry into a name. The completed names share a category even though the printed fragments are not synonyms and are not all the same length.
Why the music interpretation does not fit these four
Another group on this board uses band names with The omitted. That makes a music interpretation worth checking, but it does not explain ACRO, CROSS, KEN and SUD as a complete set.
For this group, every entry must start one of the four puzzle names shown above. A connection that explains only some of the tiles is not enough.
SOURCES
Sources for this explanation
- NYT Connections 2026-10-01 official puzzle data — board, puzzle number, group answer and event date.
- The New York Times Crossword Help — NYT print puzzle context.