NYT Connections Hints October 20: Today’s Answers and Puzzle Guide for #862

The NYT Connections hints for October 20 are here, and puzzle #862 is proving to be a mix of easy and tricky categories. If you struggled with today’s board, you’re not alone — especially with the purple group, which continues its streak of being the most challenging. Here’s a complete breakdown of today’s group hints, the official answers, and what they mean.

The popular New York Times word association puzzle tasks players with grouping 16 words into four sets based on shared themes. Today’s puzzle offers a clever mix of science, astronomy, and wordplay, with some deceptive choices thrown in to trip up even seasoned solvers.

All NYT Connections Hints and Themes for October 20 (#862)

Today’s puzzle is divided into the standard four difficulty levels — yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). Below are the official hints to help you solve each group:

• Yellow hint: What’s the matter?
• Green hint: Stars at night.
• Blue hint: Science info.
• Purple hint: On the cob.

While the yellow and green groups may be straightforward once you see the connection, the blue and purple sets can easily throw you off if you’re not paying close attention. The periodic table group, in particular, often confuses players due to its simple yet deceptive two-letter symbols.

NYT Connections Answers for October 20, 2025 (#862)

If you’re ready to check your work or need the final solutions, here’s the complete breakdown of today’s puzzle:

🟡 Yellow Group – Affliction

Words: Bugbear, Complex, Demon, Hang-up

These four terms all represent different forms of affliction or psychological burden. They can describe anything from a nagging annoyance to an internal struggle.

🟢 Green Group – Represented by Constellations

Words: Big Bear, Centaur, Hunter, Lyre

This group highlights figures and objects represented as constellations in the night sky, from Ursa Major (“Big Bear”) to Lyra (“Lyre”).

🔵 Blue Group – Periodic Table Symbols

Words: As, Be, I, K

Each of these is a valid chemical symbol from the periodic table: Arsenic (As), Beryllium (Be), Iodine (I), and Potassium (K).

🟣 Purple Group – ____ Corn

Words: A, Capri, Pop, Uni

When paired with “corn,” these form new words or terms: acorn, Capricorn, popcorn, and unicorn. This was today’s trickiest set, requiring a bit of lateral thinking.

Strategy Notes and Player Tips

Today’s puzzle illustrates a few key strategies worth remembering. Start by identifying obvious categories, like the periodic table symbols, since they tend to stand out. Next, look for wordplay involving prefixes or suffixes — like “corn” — which often forms the basis of purple group puzzles.

Many players also note that constellation-themed clues often appear in green groups, so spotting astronomical terms early can help you avoid misgrouping them. Finally, don’t overthink short or simple words; they’re frequently part of compound terms or abbreviations.

NYT Connections hints October 20 also shows how variety keeps the puzzle engaging — combining science, psychology, and language in creative ways. Whether you solved it without help or needed a nudge, today’s game is a reminder of why this puzzle has become a daily favorite for thousands of word game fans.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What is the yellow group in NYT Connections October 20?

The yellow group theme is “Affliction,” with words like bugbear, complex, demon, and hang-up.

Q2: Which group involved constellations today?

The green group featured constellations with words like Big Bear, Centaur, Hunter, and Lyre.

Q3: What was the trickiest group in today’s Connections puzzle?

The purple group, “____ corn,” was the hardest, requiring you to form new words like acorn and popcorn.

Q4: How often do periodic table symbols appear in NYT Connections?

They appear fairly often in blue groups. Today’s included As, Be, I, and K.

Q5: Where can I track my Connections progress?

NYT’s Connections Bot lets you see your score, win streak, and puzzle completion stats after each game.