NYT Connections game #861 is the archived puzzle for Sunday, October 19, 2025—not the live puzzle for today. Here are the 16 words and spoiler-safe category hints first; the complete groups and answers follow after a spoiler warning.
Connections #861 word bank
The 16 words in the October 19, 2025 puzzle were:
CRUNCHY, FALL, LEAVES, COVER, BUG, MARSH, WIG, SPILL, SKORT, JACKET, TUMBLE, FLIP, SPINE, DOVER, FREAK, WIPEOUT.
Spoiler-safe category hints
Try grouping the words before reading the answers:
- Yellow: Fall over
- Green: Elements of a paperback
- Blue: Types of panic
- Purple: Sweet treats with an added element
Spoilers: answers for game #861
Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle unaided. The four groups and their answers are below.
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
The purple connection alters familiar candy-bar names by adding one letter: CRUNCH becomes CRUNCHY, DOVE becomes DOVER, MARS becomes MARSH, and SKOR becomes SKORT.
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Why the groupings can be deceptive
Some words can initially point toward more than one idea. FALL and LEAVES may suggest autumn, but they belong to different groups: FALL is in TOPPLE, while LEAVES is a part of a book. The completed phrases in the blue group take “out” after each word—bug out, flip out, freak out, and wig out—while the purple set depends on changing candy names by a letter.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Archive sources
TechRadar’s October 18, 2025 archive article includes the word bank, hints, and answer key: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, October 19 (game #861). WordHint independently lists the puzzle’s words and groups: Connections Hint #861. TechRadar’s next-day #862 article also identifies these as the previous day’s groups: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, October 20 (game #862).
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