Need help with NYT Connections #851? This archived puzzle was published on Thursday, October 9, 2025. I’ll give you the 16 words first, followed by progressively stronger hints. The final section contains the categories and answers, so stop scrolling whenever you’re ready.
NYT Connections #851 was published on Thursday, October 9, 2025. It is an archived puzzle, rather than the current daily game. The grid includes four words connected to imaginary things, four kinds of rock, four parts of a news story, and four figures associated with classic video games.
The 16 words in Connections #851
Here is the complete word grid:
- LIMESTONE
- GORILLA
- PHOTO
- FIGMENT
- FANCY
- DATELINE
- PLUMBER
- SLATE
- FICTION
- PRINCESS
- FLINT
- CAPTION
- MARBLE
- LEDE
- HEDGEHOG
- INVENTION
Spoiler warning: The hints below become progressively more specific. The complete categories and answers appear farther down the page, so stop scrolling when you have enough help.
Hints for NYT Connections #851
Try to identify a group from the broad clues first. The four categories are:
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- Yellow: Words that can describe something imaginary or made up
- Green: Types of rock
- Blue: Things you may see in or around a news story
- Purple: Title figures associated with classic video games
Need one word from each group?
For a stronger nudge, one answer from each category is:
- Yellow: FICTION
- Green: MARBLE
- Blue: CAPTION
- Purple: GORILLA
Connections #851 answers
Yellow: Fantasy
FANCY, FICTION, FIGMENT, INVENTION
These words can all relate to something imagined, invented, or not literally real. “Fancy” has this meaning in expressions such as “a flight of fancy,” while a “figment” can be a figment of someone’s imagination. Fiction is created rather than factual, and an invention can be an imagined idea as well as a physical creation.
Green: Kinds of rocks
FLINT, LIMESTONE, MARBLE, SLATE
Flint, limestone, marble, and slate are all recognized rock materials. The possible trap is the relationship between marble and limestone: marble forms when limestone undergoes metamorphism, but both remain valid entries for this broad category.
Blue: News article features
CAPTION, DATELINE, LEDE, PHOTO
A caption identifies or explains an image. A dateline gives the location, and sometimes the date, associated with a report. The lede is the opening section of a news story, while a photo is a common visual element accompanying an article.
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Purple: Title figures in classic video games
GORILLA, HEDGEHOG, PLUMBER, PRINCESS
These are broad descriptions pointing to familiar game characters: the gorilla is Donkey Kong, the hedgehog is Sonic, the plumber is Mario, and the princess points to classic Nintendo-era characters such as Princess Peach. The group is difficult because the entries are character types or descriptions rather than the characters’ actual names.
Why this puzzle can be tricky
The yellow group is built around overlapping meanings. FANCY, FIGMENT, FICTION, and INVENTION can all suggest an idea that has been imagined, so the group becomes easier once you recognize the “made up” connection.
The green group also contains a subtle overlap: MARBLE and LIMESTONE are geologically related, but that relationship does not prevent them from being separate members of a “kinds of rocks” group.
PHOTO and CAPTION naturally appear together, which can make the blue group seem obvious while leaving DATELINE and LEDE behind. Those two journalism terms are the key to seeing the broader “news article features” category.
The purple group is the least literal. GORILLA, HEDGEHOG, PLUMBER, and PRINCESS do not form a narrow dictionary category; instead, they evoke recognizable central figures from classic video games.
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Keep playing offline
If you enjoy Connections but want a screen-free option, look for an official NYT Connections puzzle book or a broader New York Times Games puzzle collection. The official product information describes the broader Puzzle Mania! collection as including Connections-related material. A separate hardcover Connections book has been listed with a scheduled release date of October 27, 2026; check the retailer listing before buying because release timing and availability can change.
These books are for additional puzzles and are not a print copy of Connections #851.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
When was NYT Connections #851 published?
NYT Connections #851 was published on Thursday, October 9, 2025. It is an archived puzzle, not the current daily Connections game.
What were the categories in Connections #851?
The four categories are Fantasy; Kinds of rocks; News article features; and Title figures in classic video games.
What was the purple group in Connections #851?
The purple answers are GORILLA, HEDGEHOG, PLUMBER, and PRINCESS. They point to figures such as Donkey Kong, Sonic, Mario, and Princess Peach.
The Bottom Line
The answers for NYT Connections #851, from October 9, 2025, are FANCY, FICTION, FIGMENT, INVENTION for Fantasy; FLINT, LIMESTONE, MARBLE, SLATE for Kinds of rocks; CAPTION, DATELINE, LEDE, PHOTO for News article features; and GORILLA, HEDGEHOG, PLUMBER, PRINCESS for Title figures in classic video games.
Quick Recap
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