NYT Connections hints and answers (Oct 9, #851)

Play today’s Connections (official)

You can play today’s puzzle on the New York Times Games site at nytimes.com/games/connections. Spoilers follow below.

NYT Connections (Oct 9, 2025 — game #851) word list

Hints for today’s groups (no spoilers)

• Yellow: All about things that aren’t real.
• Green: A set you’d sort out of a geology kit.
• Blue: Elements you’ll find in a news story layout.
• Purple: Names that headline classic video game titles.

One nudge per group:

• Yellow: FICTION
• Green: LIMESTONE
• Blue: DATELINE
• Purple: GORILLA

Category names (minor spoilers)

• Yellow: Fantasy
• Green: Kinds of rocks
• Blue: News article features
• Purple: Title figures in classic video games

Full answers for NYT Connections #851 (major spoilers)

Tip: Lock in the tangible sets first. The rocks and the page layout terms group cleanly, which narrows the field for the “made up” words and the retro game headliners.

Connections: Sports Edition (Oct 9) — groups and answers

There’s also a sports-only variant you can play at nytimes.com/athletic/connections-sports-edition. Today’s groups and solutions:

A new Connections and Sports Edition puzzle unlocks at midnight local time each day. If you’re preserving a streak, start with the most literal categories to reduce missteps before tackling trickier overlaps.