If you’re protecting a streak or just want a nudge, here are clean hints for today’s Connections. If you need to play first, the puzzle is on the New York Times Games site at nytimes.com/games/connections.

Today’s words (game #859)

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

Note: Today’s grid includes several multi‑word entries.

Category hints (no spoilers)

  • Yellow: Tools you’d use while giving a presentation
  • Green: Souvenir‑type items you bring home from a trip
  • Blue: Characters from folktales
  • Purple: Weather and meteorology terms

One example per group (light spoilers)

  • Yellow: SLIDES
  • Green: KEY RING
  • Blue: THUMBELINA
  • Purple: DEWPOINT

Group names (minor spoilers)

  • Yellow: Used during a presentation
  • Green: Items in a souvenir shop
  • Blue: Folktale characters
  • Purple: Weather terms

Full answers (spoilers)

Color Category Items
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

That’s today’s wall. If you held back on overlapping ideas—like finger/thumb or general “weather stuff”—the sets snap into place cleanly. A new puzzle unlocks at midnight local time tomorrow.