If you’re a fan of the New York Times’ latest word game, Connections, you know that each daily puzzle is a stimulating challenge that pushes your vocabulary and pattern recognition skills. For October 14, 2025, puzzle #856 has intrigued many players looking to decode the hidden links among seemingly unrelated words. Whether you’re stuck or simply want an expert nudge, here are some detailed tips and the official solution to help you master today’s Connections puzzle.
What Is NYT Connections?
Connections is a fresh and addictive word game introduced by the New York Times, created by associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu. It challenges players to find groups of four words that share a meaningful commonality among a set of 16 words. These relationships can be based on categories such as synonyms, themes, word origins, or more subtle linguistic connections.
Every correct grouping removes those words from the board, while incorrect guesses count as mistakes—with only four allowed per round. Players can also shuffle the board to spot connections easier. The game resets daily at midnight, providing new riddles that increase in difficulty as you progress.
Tips for Tackling Connections #856
1. Look for Thematic Groups First
Start by scanning the list for obvious thematic connections such as animals, colors, or actions. Sometimes, the words’ meanings or similar usage offer clear clues to their grouping.
2. Consider Word Forms and Root Changes
Think about morphological clues—are some words related by common prefixes, suffixes, or root words? Elements such as word length or common endings might point to a shared category.
3. Use Process of Elimination
Group the most obvious sets first; this removes clutter and helps focus on less clear connections. Avoid random guessing to prevent accumulating early mistakes.
4. Note the Difficulty Color Codes
In the online game, the four groups are color-coded from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest). Use the easier groups to build momentum and clues to the tougher ones.
October 14, 2025: The Categories and Clues
For Checkpoint #856, the four groups can be summarized as:
-
Yellow Group: Captivate
Words imply attracting or holding attention. -
Green Group: Summary
Words that relate to brief explanations or synopses. -
Blue Group: Halt
Words meaning to stop or curb something. -
Purple Group: Animals Minus Their Starting Letter
A tricky linguistic twist involving animal names with their first letter removed.
The Official Solution for Connections #856
If you prefer to dive straight in or want to verify your answers, here are the exact groupings:
Captivate
- ABSORB
- ENGAGE
- HOLD
- OCCUPY
Summary
- BRIEF
- DIGEST
- OUTLINE
- REVIEW
Halt
- CHECK
- CURB
- STAUNCH
- STEM
Animals Minus Starting Letter
- ANTHER (Panther minus ‘P’)
- EASEL (Weasel minus ‘W’)
- HARK (Shark minus ‘S’)
- LAMA (Alpaca or Llama without the initial letter ‘L’, though ‘Lama’ itself is an animal name)
Wrapping Up
Connections remains a brilliant way to sharpen your mind while enjoying a daily dose of word puzzles. Remember to approach each day’s challenge methodically: spot the obvious, look for nuanced wordplay, and use the tools provided to rearrange the puzzle grid.
If you missed today’s challenge or want to revisit the hints, keep an eye out for daily solutions. And if you enjoyed today’s puzzle, stay tuned—the next Connections game will be ready after midnight!
For more word puzzles, check out related games like Wordle, Strands, or classic crosswords featured on Mashable and the New York Times Games section.
Happy puzzling!
