Issue #860 Sat 18 Oct
NYT Connections Hints & Answer — October 18, 2025
A patient grid that asks for a second look at common sounds and associations. Take your time with the connections as the morning coffee kicks in.
yellow group 7 hints
Yellow group hints
A bike rolling downhill without a single turn of the pedals, or the way a heavy door swings open on a well-oiled hinge.
Motion and movement
Synonyms
Members are 5–6 letters; first letters B, C, F, S.
GLIDE
One is BREEZE.
BREEZE · COAST · FLOAT · SKATE
green group 7 hints
Green group hints
The local gym court where the equipment rack is empty and everyone is waiting for the next game to start.
Sports terminology
Compound word components
Members are 4–7 letters; first letters D, H, P, R.
WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORTS
One is DODGE.
DODGE · HAND · PICKLE · RACQUET
blue group 7 hints
Blue group hints
A late-night cable marathon where the same familiar faces appear in every other commercial break.
Cinema history
Proper nouns
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters B, C, F.
PROLIFIC ACTORS
One is BACON.
BACON · CAGE · CRUISE · FORD
violet group 7 hints
Violet group hints
A quiet shop counter where the shopkeeper mishears a request, or the way a name sounds different in a crowded room.
Linguistics
Homophones
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters C, H, P, T.
HOMOPHONES OF SYNONYMS FOR "VEND"
One is CELL.
CELL · HOCK · PEDAL · TRAYED
Spoiler zone
Complete Connections answer
Open only the solution you want to see. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.
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Reveal the yellow group
GLIDEBREEZE · COAST · FLOAT · SKATE
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Reveal the green group
WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORTSDODGE · HAND · PICKLE · RACQUET
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Reveal the blue group
PROLIFIC ACTORSBACON · CAGE · CRUISE · FORD
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Reveal the violet group
HOMOPHONES OF SYNONYMS FOR "VEND"CELL · HOCK · PEDAL · TRAYED
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Connections on October 18, 2025. Every answer below helps you along without giving the game away — ready to see the full solution? See the complete Connections answer for October 18, 2025, or browse every Connections puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Connections on October 18, 2025?
NYT Connections on October 18, 2025 rates 3 out of 4 on our difficulty scale — a tougher-than-average puzzle. As always you sort sixteen words into four colour-coded groups, and our hints tease what links each group without ever naming the words.
What's a spoiler-free hint for NYT Connections on October 18, 2025?
The hint ladder above starts with a one-line vibe for each of the four groups, then adds the connecting idea, then the wording of each category. You climb only as far as you need, and no grouped words are shown until the final reveal.
How many groups are in NYT Connections #860?
Four groups of four, ordered from the gentlest to the trickiest. For the categories and the sixteen words themselves, open the answer section on this page — the hints here keep them hidden.
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words
Today on Cluestand
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words