NYT Connections Hints October 24: Puzzle #866 Answers, Categories and Detailed Breakdown

The New York Times Connections puzzle for October 24, 2025 (#866) challenged players with clever word associations and a tricky purple category. If you’re stuck, here’s a full breakdown of today’s NYT Connections hints, categories, and answers to help you finish strong.

Created by the NYT Games team, Connections continues to trend daily on social media as players share their wins and near-misses. Puzzle #866 offered a blend of wordplay and logic, testing your ability to spot subtle patterns in everyday language.

NYT Connections Hints for October 24, 2025

Before revealing the answers, here are the four hints released for today’s Connections groups — ranked from easiest (yellow) to hardest (purple):

• Yellow group hint: When you might shine.
• Green group hint: Editing a document.
• Blue group hint: Bright and pretty.
• Purple group hint: Look at the end of the word for a connection.

These clues guided players toward thinking about common themes — from “highlighting text” to “colorful objects” — with the last group demanding close attention to word endings.

NYT Connections Answers for October 24, 2025 (#866)

Here are the confirmed groups and their four correct words for each color set:

• Yellow group (Best years): Heyday, Pinnacle, Prime, Zenith
• Green group (Things you can do to text): Bold, Highlight, Strikethrough, Underline
• Blue group (Things known for being colorful): Kaleidoscope, Peacock, Rainbow, Sunset
• Purple group (Ending in accessories): Baywatch, Cootie, Herring, Kingpin

The yellow and green categories were fairly straightforward for seasoned players, but many found the purple set to be particularly confusing — requiring recognition of words that end in names of accessories (“watch,” “tie,” “ring,” and “pin”).

Inside Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle

According to CNET’s daily puzzle report by Gael Cooper, the October 24 edition leaned on layered wordplay and mixed associations. The “colorful” group drew appreciation for its visual theme, while the “text editing” group resonated with frequent computer users. However, the accessory-based word endings in purple proved divisive, as many players guessed unrelated fashion terms before realizing the hidden connection.

Players who solved the entire set without using hints earned a “Perfect!” badge on the NYT Games app, continuing their streaks and tracking statistics through the new Connections Bot feature introduced this month.

Wrap-Up

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle (#866) balanced logic, language, and creativity. From the satisfying “Best years” set to the tricky “accessory endings,” it offered a well-rounded challenge that tested attention to detail. Whether you completed it solo or needed a little help, this puzzle reinforced why NYT Games remains a favorite for word lovers everywhere.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What are the NYT Connections hints for October 24?

The hints are: When you might shine, Editing a document, Bright and pretty, and Look at the end of the word for a connection.

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

Yellow: Heyday, Pinnacle, Prime, Zenith. Green: Bold, Highlight, Strikethrough, Underline. Blue: Kaleidoscope, Peacock, Rainbow, Sunset. Purple: Baywatch, Cootie, Herring, Kingpin.

Q3: What was the hardest group in NYT Connections #866?

The purple group was the toughest, featuring words ending in accessories like “watch” and “ring.”

Q4: How many categories are there in NYT Connections?

Each puzzle contains four categories — Yellow (easy), Green (medium), Blue (hard), and Purple (tricky or unexpected).

Q5: When is the next NYT Connections puzzle released?

A new NYT Connections puzzle goes live every day at midnight local time on the New York Times Games site and app.