If you’re trying to keep a streak alive, start with light hints, then scroll for the full categories and solutions. You can play today’s puzzle on the official Connections page at nytimes.com/games/connections.
NYT Connections today (#857) — the 16 words
Spoilers start below.
| KIDNEY | GOLF | GREAT | BRONCO |
| PINTO | VACUUM | KIDDIE | LIMA |
| NAVY | OLYMPIC | ELEPHANT | FIESTA |
| INFINITY | BRAVO | MUSTANG | DELTA |
Connections #857 — group hints
- Yellow: Places you swim
- Green: Words used to spell letters clearly
- Blue: All from the same car brand
- Purple: Add a word that rhymes with “meal”
Connections #857 — full answers
| Group | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Watch the big red herring
Four words can look like a set of beans — PINTO, KIDNEY, LIMA, and NAVY — but they don’t form a category today. Three of them slot into other groups, and PINTO belongs with the Ford models.
Today’s difficulty
Testers rated this puzzle 3.3 out of 5 for difficulty. If you solved the phonetic alphabet or spotted Ford’s lineup early, the rest likely fell into place.
That’s the wall for October 15. Come back tomorrow for a fresh grid, or chase a reverse rainbow if you like living dangerously.
