NYT Connections puzzle #843, dated Wednesday, October 1, 2025, groups its 16 words around fast-moving water, ways to criticize, echoey places, and phrases ending in “prize.” Start with the spoiler-light hints below, or jump to the full groupings if you’re ready to see the answers.
Spoiler-light hints for Connections #843
- Yellow: Think about water that moves quickly.
- Green: These words can mean to criticize someone or something.
- Blue: Think of places or settings where sound can echo.
- Purple: Each word can come before “prize.”
For a smaller nudge, the clues used by TechRadar were “White water,” “Roasted,” “Hello… hello,” and “Add an award.”
Full answers for October 1, 2025
Spoilers below: The four category labels and their words are:
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | FAST-MOVING WATER | CATARACT, CURRENT, RAPIDS, WHIRLPOOL |
| Green | CRITICIZE | FLAME, KNOCK, SKEWER, SLAM |
| Blue | ECHOEY PLACES | CANYON, HALLWAY, TUNNEL, ZOOM CALL |
| Purple | ___ PRIZE | BOOBY, DOOR, FIRST, JURY |
Why the words fit
Yellow: fast-moving water
CATARACT means a large waterfall in this group; CURRENT, RAPIDS, and WHIRLPOOL also describe moving water.
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Green: criticize
FLAME, KNOCK, SKEWER, and SLAM can each mean to criticize or attack verbally.
Blue: echoey places
CANYON, HALLWAY, and TUNNEL are physical spaces where sound can reverberate. ZOOM CALL extends the idea to a remote-call setting, where a voice may echo.
Purple: words before “prize”
Add “prize” after each word to make BOOBY PRIZE, DOOR PRIZE, FIRST PRIZE, and JURY PRIZE.
The 16 words in puzzle #843
The grid contained CANYON, HALLWAY, RAPIDS, FLAME, CURRENT, JURY, SLAM, DOOR, TUNNEL, CATARACT, BOOBY, SKEWER, KNOCK, FIRST, ZOOM CALL, and WHIRLPOOL.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsHow Connections works
Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four groups of four. Forbes describes the game as allowing three incorrect guesses before a fourth ends the game. It reports that new puzzles become available at midnight local time, rather than at one universal instant.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you replay this puzzle?
Forbes reports that the NYT Games archive includes previous Connections puzzles and is available with an NYT All Access or Games subscription. Subscription access and terms can change, so check the New York Times directly for current details.
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