NYT Connections Hints October 22, 2025: Check Clues and Answers to Solve Today’s Puzzle Game

The NYT Connections game is a daily word riddle from The New York Times that asks players to identify relationships between words. You get a set of 16 words and you need to group them into four categories of four words each, grouping the words by an unifying theme. The joy in the game lies in identifying relationships that are not necessarily simple, either suggesting that some made sense but are either simply different meanings or based on phrases or common categories, clever wordplay, etc. As you work through the Connections game, it becomes more challenging, using your logic, creativity, and a certain level of frustration.

The October 22, 2025 NYT Connections puzzle was uniquely entertaining - balancing familiarity with a unifying concept that tied into all the sets of four. It really challenged the players to think outside of the literal meanings of the words, and identifiable links - sometimes, the connective link seemed non-sequitur even when the title of categories fell within the same theme. It included both similar clues that were easy to understand and "clever" clues, that on some level knowingly misled you to think one way rather than the other way, which added a layer of joy to identify the link and find the "correct" association.

Check Out: NYT Connections Hints October 16, 2025: Check Clues and Answers to Solve Today’s Puzzle Game

Hints for NYT Connections October 22, 2025  

The NYT Connections puzzle, presented by The New York Times, for October 22, 2025 (Puzzle #864) is here! Here, four sets of words that appear to have no connection to one another actually have neat and relevant links, ranging from desserts to sea creatures! Put your thinking cap on and identify the patterns to identify today’s fantastic four categories.

Yellow Group Hint: Think of the basic services you rely on at home to keep everything running, the ones you pay monthly bills for.

Green Group Hint: Each of these words can mean to adjust or customize something so it perfectly suits your preferences or requirements.

Blue Group Hint:Picture different varieties of a small insect known for teamwork and colonies

Purple Group Hint:Each phrase here begins with the same word, often used when talking about imitation or duplication.

Stepping back will often expose the clever logic that provided the unifying. Let’s take a moment to go through the groups together, and explore the connections that tie these words together so nicely.

NYT Connections Answers for October 22, 2025 (Wednesday)

Here are the solutions for the October 22, 2025 New York Times Connections puzzle, which is Puzzle #864! Today's Connections challenge was a delightful mix of themes that required you to do reasoning, and also think quickly on your feet. From flavor-packed desserts made with fruit, to mood descriptors, blue water creatures, and kooky phrases about bananas, each grouping came with its special twist. If you found all four groups of four words, congratulations, you completed a puzzle that combined wordplay, logic, and attention to detail seamlessly!

YELLOW: UTILITIES (ELECTRIC, GAS, TELEPHONE,WATER)

GREEN: ADAPT TO FIT ONE'S NEEDS (FASHION, MOLD, SHAPE, TAILOR)

BLUE: KINDS OF ANTS (ARMY, CARPENTER, FIRE, PHARAOH)

PURPLE: COPY___ (CAT, PASTA, RIGHT, WRITER)

It’s perfectly fine if you don’t complete a Connections puzzle, or if you need to set it aside before reaching the solution.

What is the NYT Connections Game?

New York Times Connections is a daily word game where players arrange 16 words into four groups of four based on hidden connections. Each individual grouping of four words has a commonality such as synonyms, genres (like vegetables), or phrases. The game tests both the logic of making connections and knowledge of vocabulary, at times leading the player down a rabbit hole that may fit logically or linguistically, but is not the connection, and you really have to think outside the box. The category of word relationships can range from basic to tricky, and hidden connections sometimes involve puns or a play on words. Players are permitted four guesses and then they automatically lose. Therefore, cautious thinking and logic are very important to the game's process. It's a short, quick and good brain stimulation, as it combines deductive reasoning with intuition about language and linguistics, and it is updated every day the NYT Games page.

How to Play the NYT Connections Puzzle?

When playing the NYT Connections puzzle, you begin with a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to categorize the words into four sets of four words based on some hidden connection (i.e. synonyms, common themes, or phrases). Clicking or tapping a set of four four words you believe belong together, you ultimately submit your guess. If it is a correct guess, the group of words will lock in; otherwise, you may keep guessing. There are a total of four incorrectly guessed groups allowed before the game ends. The categories of the words are color-coded according to difficulty, starting with yellow (the easiest), green, blue, and ending with purple, which is the hardest word category. The key to playing this game successfully is thinking outside the box, noticing connections that are sometimes more subtle than they appear, and avoiding the notion of a word series, when in fact they may not be related at all.

Best Strategies to Solve NYT Connections Puzzles

In order to effectively play *NYT Connections*, begin by skimming all 16 words to find connections or common themes. Start looking for the easy categories like colors, animals or sports, and this allows you to potentially winnow your selection for additional categories. Look for wordplay, including words that are an idiom, double meaning or phrases, not simply word resemblance. Look out for a “red herring,” and the puzzle often provides one or more words that fit into more than one category. Try to switch up a range of words to see if you notice a pattern or two, and don't hesitate to use the undo button if you can't find a way forward. Think about suffixes, prefixes or shared context (such as movies or types of food). Consistent success is about being patient, thinking outside of the box, and finding relevant connections.

Other NYT Games to Explore

If NYT Connections has become your new favorite, check out other daily brain teasers and games from The New York Times. 

Wordle: Guess a five-letter word in six attempts. 

Spelling Bee: Craft as many words as possible from a set of seven letters.

Mini Crossword: For a quick wordplay, perfect for a coffee break.

That's all for today's NYT Connections puzzle! Be sure to come back tomorrow for NYT Connections Hints and Answers for October 23, 2025.