NYT Connections #861 was the Sunday, October 19, 2025 puzzle. Its groups are TOPPLE, PARTS OF A BOOK, LOSE IT, WITH “OUT”, and CHOCOLATE BARS PLUS A LETTER. Use the progressively stronger hints below before revealing the complete answers.
NYT Connections game #861 was published on Sunday, October 19, 2025. The puzzle’s 16 words split into groups about falling, parts of a book, phrases completed by “out,” and chocolate bars with one extra letter.
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If you are solving the archived puzzle, start with the hints below and stop before the spoiler section. The complete grid and answers follow.
Progressive hints for Connections #861
Yellow hint
Think about what happens when someone loses balance or falls over.
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Green hint
These words are components or descriptive terms associated with a paperback book.
Blue hint
Add “out” after each word to describe losing control, panicking, or becoming highly agitated.
Purple hint
Think of chocolate-bar names after adding one letter to each answer.
Need one more nudge?
One group can be completed with OUT. Another group is found on—or describes—a book. The hardest group is based on candy-bar names hidden inside slightly altered words.
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Spoiler warning: full answers below
The next section gives the four categories, all 16 answers, and the wordplay behind the trickiest groups.
NYT Connections answers for October 19, 2025
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | TOPPLE | FALL, SPILL, TUMBLE, WIPEOUT |
| Green | PARTS OF A BOOK | COVER, JACKET, LEAVES, SPINE |
| Blue | LOSE IT, WITH “OUT” | BUG, FLIP, FREAK, WIG |
| Purple | CHOCOLATE BARS PLUS A LETTER | CRUNCHY, DOVER, MARSH, SKORT |
Connections #861 category explanations
Yellow: TOPPLE
FALL, SPILL, TUMBLE, WIPEOUT
All four words can describe falling, overturning, or being knocked down. Fall and tumble can describe the action directly, while spill can mean to fall or fall over. Wipeout is the more informal, noun-like entry for a spectacular fall or defeat.
Green: PARTS OF A BOOK
COVER, JACKET, LEAVES, SPINE
A cover and spine are familiar physical parts of a book. A jacket means the dust jacket or book jacket surrounding a hardcover or paperback. In book terminology, leaves are the individual sheets of a book; each leaf has two sides, or pages.
The trap here is the everyday meaning of leaves. It can suggest autumn, especially because FALL is also on the board, but in this group it is the bibliographic term.
Blue: LOSE IT, WITH “OUT”
BUG, FLIP, FREAK, WIG
Put OUT after each word:
- BUG OUT
- FLIP OUT
- FREAK OUT
- WIG OUT
In this context, the phrases describe losing composure, panicking, or reacting intensely. The category is difficult because bug and flip have many unrelated meanings when they stand alone.
Purple: CHOCOLATE BARS PLUS A LETTER
CRUNCHY, DOVER, MARSH, SKORT
Remove the extra letter from each entry to reveal a chocolate-bar name or form:
- CRUNCHY becomes CRUNCH
- DOVER becomes DOVE
- MARSH becomes MARS
- SKORT becomes SKOR
The added letters are not all in the same position, so the connection is not simply a common prefix or suffix. The group depends on recognizing the candy-bar names after removing one unnecessary letter, making it the most wordplay-heavy category in this puzzle.
Why this puzzle is tricky
The board uses several surface associations to pull you toward the wrong group. FALL and LEAVES look like an obvious autumn pairing, but leaves belongs with the book terms. COVER and JACKET may also seem too general until SPINE confirms the book connection.
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The purple group is another major sticking point. CRUNCHY, MARSH, and SKORT do not look like candy names until you test whether one letter can be removed. DOVER then completes the set through Dove. The source answer guide described this game as hard and reported one mistake during its solve; that is an individual solving experience, not an independent difficulty rating.
How to play NYT Connections
Connections presents 16 words. Your task is to divide them into four groups of four, with every group sharing a common connection. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is usually the most straightforward, followed by green, blue, and purple.
You can select four words and submit them as a group. You are allowed up to four mistakes before the game ends, so it is often better to hold a plausible word back when it could fit more than one category. In this puzzle, for example, separating leaves from the autumn interpretation and testing the “out” phrases helps avoid spending a guess on a tempting but incomplete connection.
Want more Connections puzzles?
If you prefer solving away from a screen, an NYT Connections puzzle book is a natural follow-up to the daily game. The official New York Times Games material describes a physical collection built around new Connections-style puzzles, separate from the October 19, 2025 daily puzzle. A standalone collection titled Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay was listed by Barnes & Noble as a hardcover with a scheduled October 27, 2026 release date at the time of the research. Check the retailer’s current listing before relying on that date, price, or availability.
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The broader The New York Times Games: Puzzle Mania! collection is another print option and includes Connections-related material, though it is less directly focused on Connections than the standalone book.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
What were the NYT Connections answers for October 19, 2025?
The four categories for NYT Connections #861 are TOPPLE; PARTS OF A BOOK; LOSE IT, WITH “OUT”; and CHOCOLATE BARS PLUS A LETTER.
Best Value
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
What is the purple group in Connections #861?
Remove one extra letter from each word: CRUNCHY becomes CRUNCH, DOVER becomes DOVE, MARSH becomes MARS, and SKORT becomes SKOR.
Why is LEAVES in the parts-of-a-book category?
LEAVES is the book-related term in this puzzle. In bibliography, a leaf is an individual sheet in a book, while the autumn meaning is a deliberate distraction.
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The Bottom Line
The answers for NYT Connections #861 on October 19, 2025 are FALL, SPILL, TUMBLE, WIPEOUT; COVER, JACKET, LEAVES, SPINE; BUG, FLIP, FREAK, WIG; and CRUNCHY, DOVER, MARSH, SKORT. The key traps are the book meaning of leaves and the chocolate-bar names hidden by removing one letter.
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