NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, October 17 (game #859)

NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
(Image credit: New York Times)
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, October 16 (game #858).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #859) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 859 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • TOM THUMB
  • MAGNET
  • CLICKER
  • JACK
  • POSTCARD
  • HEAT INDEX
  • WIND CHILL
  • LASER POINTER
  • KEY RING
  • CHICKEN LITTLE 
  • THUMBELINA
  • FIGURINE
  • SLIDES
  • BEAUFORT SCALE
  • PROJECTOR
  • DEWPOINT

NYT Connections today (game #859) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: Lecture aids
  • GREEN: Purchases that trigger vacation memories
  • BLUE: Mythical figures
  • PURPLE: Meteorological conditions

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #859) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: USED DURING A PRESENTATION
  • GREEN: ITEMS IN A SOUVENIR SHOP
  • BLUE: FOLKTALE CHARACTERS
  • PURPLE: WEATHER TERMS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #859) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 859 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #859, are…

  • YELLOW: USED DURING A PRESENTATION CLICKER, LASER POINTER, PROJECTOR, SLIDES
  • GREEN: ITEMS IN A SOUVENIR SHOP FIGURINE, KEY RING, MAGNET, POSTCARD
  • BLUE: FOLKTALE CHARACTERS CHICKEN LITTLE, JACK, THUMBELINA, TOM THUMB
  • PURPLE: WEATHER TERMS BEAUFORT SCALE, DEWPOINT, HEAT INDEX, WIND CHILL

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

It's rare for me to get the purple/hardest group before the end, but extremely rare for me to get it first like I did today.

It was a case of a little bit of knowledge – knowing that the BEAUFORT SCALE measures wind force – getting me going and logic taking me across the line. 

The other groups were less fudged. Souvenirs featured in Strands recently, so ITEMS IN A SOUVENIR SHOP instantly popped up. I find myself unable to not purchase a souvenir if I travel anywhere – although I’d draw the line at a fridge MAGNET.

I had hesitated over FOLKTALE CHARACTERS at the start of the game, uncertain if JACK was a member of the group and also thinking that fingers and thumbs could be the link. Fortunately, I held back until the answer was obvious.


Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, October 16, game #858)

  • YELLOW: FRUIT DESSERTS COBBLER, CRISP, CRUMBLE, TART
  • GREEN: CRABBY CROSS, PRICKLY, SORE, SOUR
  • BLUE: FISH CHAR, FLUKE, PIKE, SKATE
  • PURPLE: BANANA ____ BOAT, BREAD, SLUG, SPLIT

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Contributor

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.

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