NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Oct. 14, 2025 (#856): Today’s Full Breakdown and Solutions

NYT Connections hints for October 14, 2025 (#856) are finally here, and today’s puzzle is a mix of straightforward groupings and a tricky purple set that stumped many players. If you struggled with today’s challenge, you’re not alone. Here’s a complete guide to all the hints, themes, and answers you need to solve the puzzle.

The popular New York Times word game challenges players to find connections between 16 words divided into four themed groups. Today’s puzzle, like many before, featured a mix of literal meanings, synonyms, and a clever wordplay twist.

Today’s NYT Connections Hints (Oct. 14, 2025)

Before diving into the answers, here are hints for each of the four categories, ranked from easiest (yellow) to most challenging (purple):

• Yellow hint: Dazzle or entrance.
• Green hint: Short version.
• Blue hint: Stop!
• Purple hint: Not humans — and remove one letter.

Use these clues to try solving the puzzle yourself before peeking at the solutions below.

NYT Connections Answers for Oct. 14, 2025 (#856)

Here’s the complete breakdown of today’s puzzle answers, including each group’s theme and the four words that belong to it:

🟡 Yellow Group – Captivate

This set is all about words meaning to grab attention or fascinate:

• Absorb
• Engage
• Hold
• Occupy

🟢 Green Group – Summary

These words all describe condensed or shortened versions of information:

• Brief
• Digest
• Outline
• Review

🔵 Blue Group – Halt

Each of these words means to stop or limit something:

• Check
• Curb
• Staunch
• Stem

🟣 Purple Group – Animals Minus Starting Letter

The trickiest category today involved removing the first letter of animal names. Once you do, the connection becomes clear:

• Anther (from Panther)
• Easel (from Weasel)
• Hark (from Shark)
• Lama (from Llama)

This clever twist is classic NYT Connections — requiring lateral thinking and not just vocabulary knowledge.

How to Approach Tough NYT Connections Puzzles

Today’s puzzle is a reminder that Connections often hides one particularly tricky category — and the purple one was exactly that. When faced with unusual words like “anther” or “hark,” it helps to step back and consider what they might become with a letter added or removed. Wordplay-based categories like this appear frequently, so watch for them in future puzzles.

The yellow and green categories were more direct, focusing on synonyms and concepts. The blue group offered a bit more challenge, but context clues like “stop” or “limit” helped narrow them down.

With puzzles like this, solving order matters. Start with the obvious synonyms (like yellow and green) before tackling the more abstract or wordplay-heavy categories.

NYT Connections #856 shows how diverse the puzzle’s thinking can be — from direct meanings to creative letter play. Mastering this balance is key to improving your solving streak.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What is the yellow category in today’s NYT Connections?

The yellow category is “Captivate,” including absorb, engage, hold, and occupy.

Q2: Which category is the hardest in NYT Connections #856?

The purple group is the hardest. It requires removing the first letter from animal names.

Q3: What does “Anther” refer to in today’s puzzle?

It’s part of the purple group. Adding “P” makes “Panther.”

Q4: How often does NYT use wordplay in Connections?

Wordplay categories, like removing or adding letters, appear frequently to increase difficulty.

Q5: Where can I find daily NYT Connections hints?

You can check daily updates on major news and puzzle platforms or the NYT Games section.