NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, October 15 (game #857)

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 Tuesday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, October 14 (game #856).

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 #857) – today’s words

NYT Connections hints for game 857 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today’s NYT Connections words are…

  • KIDNEY
  • GOLF
  • GREAT
  • BRONCO
  • PINTO
  • VACUUM
  • KIDDIE
  • LIMA
  • NAVY
  • OLYMPIC
  • ELEPHANT
  • FIESTA
  • INFINITY
  • BRAVO
  • MUSTANG
  • DELTA

NYT Connections today (game #857) – hint #1 – group hints

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

  • YELLOW: Swim in these
  • GREEN: Spell out letters
  • BLUE: All same car brand
  • PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “meal”

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 #857) – hint #2 – group answers

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

  • YELLOW: TYPES OF POOLS
  • GREEN: IN THE NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET
  • BLUE: FORD MODELS
  • PURPLE: ___ SEAL

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

NYT Connections today (game #857) – the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 857 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today’s Connections, game #857, are…

  • YELLOW: TYPES OF POOLS INFINITY, KIDDIE, KIDNEY, OLYMPIC
  • GREEN: IN THE NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET BRAVO, DELTA, GOLF, LIMA
  • BLUE: FORD MODELS BRONCO, FIESTA, MUSTANG, PINTO
  • PURPLE: ___ SEAL ELEPHANT, GREAT, NAVY, VACUUM
  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

KIDNEY, NAVY and PINTO have all appeared in Connections before in a beans category and for a while I thought I was looking for a repeat – something beans are infamous for. But I digress. Instead, I added LIMA to the mix.

Alas, no beanie connections this time around. Then I remembered LIMA’s place IN THE NATO PHOENETIC ALPHABET alongside BRAVO, DELTA and GOLF.

I can never remember all the words and more often than not will come up with some random alternatives when I’m forced to spell out my name. Instead of LIMA I’d probably go for Llama or Liverpool. 

Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, October 14, game #856)

  • YELLOW: CAPTIVATE ABSORB, ENGAGE, HOLD, OCCUPY
  • GREEN: SUMMARY BRIEF, DIGEST, OUTLINE, REVIEW
  • BLUE: HALT CHECK, CURB, STAUNCH, STEM
  • PURPLE: ANIMALS MINUS STARTING LETTER ANTHER, EASEL, HARK, LAMA

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.

Read more @ TechRadar

Latest posts

Outlander season 8: everything we know so far about the hit Starz show’s return

Outlander season 8: key information- Renewed in January 2023- Premieres on March 6, 2026- Officially the final season of the show- Main cast set...

How AI is changing developers’ mindsets, not just their code

Generative AI is making waves in the software development space, transforming the way engineers operate, iterate, and develop code.We see the ripple effects of...

Need a cheap camera gift idea? My top pick is a personalized Camp Snap retro compact

The original Camp Snap screen-free compact can now be personalizedYou pick the colorway, text color and up to 10 custom charactersIt costs $85 /...

The best early Black Friday iPhone deals: here’s how to get a free iPhone 17, iPad, or a super cheap plan

If you've been eying up a potential upgrade, then this week's early Black Friday iPhone deals could tempt you into one of the latest...

How to watch Hungary vs Ireland: Free streams, TV Channels and preview for 2026 World Cup Qualifier showdown

Hungary vs Ireland kick-off: 2pm BST/ 9am ET, Thursday, November 13. Stream free on RTE Player (IRE)Access your usual streaming services with NordVPN (save...

Should you stop charging your phone battery to 100%? Here’s what experts say

Most of us don’t think much about how or when we charge our phones. Some people let their phone die completely, others plug it...

Scotland vs Argentina live streams: How to watch Autumn International 2025 live from Murrayfield

Scotland vs Argentina: Sunday, November 16 at 3.10pm GMT / 10.10am ETStream on Peacock (US) and TNT Sports (UK)Unlock your stream with NordVPN's Black...

This robot vacuum delivers impressive mopping, but there are some quirks to know about before you buy

SwitchBot S20: two-minute reviewThe SwitchBot S20 is a hybrid robot vacuum with a particularly impressive mopping setup. While most robot vacuums feature flat mop...

What legacy business intelligence technology can learn from video games

In the last decade, business intelligence (BI) and data visualization have grown into a critical business functions. However, while BI and data viz tools...

A federal jury ruled that Apple has to pay $634 million for infringing smartwatch patents

In a longstanding and complicated legal battle between Apple and Masimo, a recent ruling from a California jury may be the first step towards...