NYT Connections Hints October 21: Today’s Answers and Groups Explained (#863)

Looking for the NYT Connections hints for October 21? Puzzle #863 is live, and today’s word groups offer a mix of straightforward and tricky challenges. From playing cards to NBA teams, the puzzle covers a wide range of themes that test word association and lateral thinking. Below, we break down all four groups, along with hints, final answers, and key insights to help you solve today’s puzzle faster.

The New York Times’ popular daily game continues to grow in popularity, and with new features like the Connections Bot now available, players can track their performance, streaks, and accuracy more closely than ever. Here’s everything you need to know about today’s challenge.

All NYT Connections Hints and Answers for October 21 (#863)

Today’s Connections puzzle features four distinct groups. They range from classic categories like playing cards to more specific ones like items you can control with a remote. If you’re stuck, the hints below should help point you in the right direction.

• Yellow group hint: Deal me in.
• Green group hint: I can get that.
• Blue group hint: Hoops.
• Purple group hint: The clicker.

Here are the confirmed answers for each group:

Yellow group – Playing cards: Aces, Jacks, Kings, Queens
Green group – Takes on: Addresses, Does, Handles, Tackles
Blue group – NBA teams: Bucks, Bulls, Hornets, Spurs
Purple group – Things you can control with remotes: Drones, Garage doors, Televisions, Wiis

These categories highlight the diversity of thought needed to solve Connections. Some clues, like NBA team names, might be obvious to basketball fans, while others — like interpreting “does” as a verb for “takes on” — require deeper consideration.

Deeper Look at NYT Connections Puzzle #863

Each day’s puzzle is designed to test a different mix of vocabulary, cultural knowledge, and associative thinking. The NYT Connections October 21 puzzle is no exception. The “Playing cards” category is a classic and often used in past puzzles, but pairing it with “Takes on” adds a subtle linguistic twist that can mislead solvers.

The “Hoops” clue for the blue group is a direct nod to NBA teams. Even if you’re not a sports fan, recognizing common team names like Bucks or Bulls helps solve this section quickly. Meanwhile, the purple group — “Things you can control with remotes” — reflects modern technology’s influence on language and daily life, extending beyond TVs to devices like drones and garage doors.

According to puzzle experts cited by outlets like Reuters and BBC News, the key to mastering Connections is learning to reinterpret common words in new contexts. Today’s puzzle emphasizes that strategy, especially with the green group, where verbs like “does” and “handles” require players to think in terms of tasks or actions rather than objects.

Community Reactions and Gameplay Tips

Players online described today’s puzzle as “medium difficulty,” with most reporting the purple group as the hardest to crack. The introduction of the new Connections Bot by The New York Times has also sparked renewed competition, as users now receive a numeric score and can analyze their play patterns.

Experts recommend grouping obvious answers first — like the playing cards — before tackling more abstract categories. Also, re-reading each word aloud can reveal alternate meanings you might miss at first glance.

Overall, the NYT Connections October 21 puzzle balances classic wordplay with modern references, making it both challenging and satisfying for solvers.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What are the NYT Connections hints for October 21?

The hints are “Deal me in,” “I can get that,” “Hoops,” and “The clicker.” They correspond to playing cards, takes on, NBA teams, and things controllable with remotes.

Q2: What are the answers to today’s NYT Connections puzzle?

Playing cards: Aces, Jacks, Kings, Queens. Takes on: Addresses, Does, Handles, Tackles. NBA teams: Bucks, Bulls, Hornets, Spurs. Remote-controlled: Drones, Garage doors, Televisions, Wiis.

Q3: What is the hardest group in today’s puzzle?

Many players found the purple group hardest because it includes less obvious items like drones and garage doors alongside televisions.

Q4: How many puzzles does NYT Connections release?

NYT Connections releases one new puzzle every day. Players can also track their stats with the new Connections Bot.

Q5: What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is a daily word association game from The New York Times where players group 16 words into four related sets.